RUPNAGAR – National Service Selection Center (NSSC) for Armed Forces would soon come up at Rupnagar.
This was announced by the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal at the sidelines of the Sangat Darshan while talking to the media persons this afternoon. He said that the prestigious NSSC would be established over an area of 200 acres land, which was being made available to the armed forces by the Punjab government in the vicinity of the local camps of IIT. He said that the upcoming Centre would give a huge boost the recruitment drive of our youth in the Defence services and the Ministry of Defence had already confirmed its decision through the Chief of Staff of the Indian Army. Mr. Badal said: "Rupnagar would soon become a hub of Defence institutions in the country with the setting up of new NSSC besides NCC and Naval academies already coming up here.
Asked to specify the timing of the distribution of tickets to the SAD candidates in the forthcoming assembly polls, Mr. Badal said that the entire exercise would be taken up and finalized in consultation with the Political Affairs Committee of SAD only after the announcement of the elections in the state.
Asked to comment on the issue raised by the President State Youth Congress & MP Ravneet Singh Bitu for alleged diversion of funds meant for the welfare schemes for scheduled castes in the Sangat Darshan programs, Mr. Badal said that these leaders were issuing such irresponsible statements out of sheer frustration. He said that it was amply clear that not even a single penny could be spent for any other purpose adding he clarified that the entire grants in the sangat darshan programs were being disbursed out of the rural development fund collected by levying market fee on the food grains procured by the state government. He lamented that the Centre was hardly allocating adequate grants to carry out development works in the state therefore it was obligatory on the part of the state government to generate funds from its own resources to keep up the tempo of development both in rural as well as urban sector.
Replying to another question about the nomination of PCS officers amongst the quota of District Revenue Officers/Tehsildars, the Chief Minister said that the government had already given in principle approval in the regard and the process for the selection of these officers would be initiated soon.
Referring to another query about the non-allocation of staff against 59 posts sanctioned for the Divisional Headquarter Rupnagar, Mr. Badal said that requisite supporting staff had already been sanctioned by the Cabinet along with another decision to include SAS Nagar (Mohali) district in the newly created Division.
Earlier, addressing the sangat darshan, Mr. Badal said that Punjab was the only state in the country to have a unique ‘sangat darshan’ program to redress the day-to-day problems and grievances of the common man on the spot. He said that the sangat darshan was the most effective program to sort out the development issues on the spot to the satisfaction of the people and added that it was not only a platform to disburse development grants but it was a useful program to feel the pulse of the people in order to serve them in the right earnest. The Chief Minister also directed the Chairman Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. to release the tubewell connections on the priority to the village panchayats and rural cooperative societies as per the policy so that these grass root level institutions could supplement their resources for income generation.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister disbursed development grants worth Rs.6.50 crore to 95 village panchayats for the execution of various on-going projects and welfare schemes. Mr. Badal also handed over a cheque of Rs. 1.55 crore to the President of the local Municipal Council for the overall development of the Rupnagar city. He also gave away 80 bicycles to the girl students of Government Schools under Mai Bhago Scheme.
Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion, included Advisor to Chief Minister Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema, Chairman District Planning Committee Mr. Madan Mohan Mittal, Mr. Tara Singh Ladal and Mrs. Satwant Kaur Sandhu (both former Ministers), Member SGPC Mr. Amarjit Singh Chawla, Chairperson Zila Parishad Rupnagar Mrs. Daljit Kaur Kang, Chairman Improvement Trust Dr. RS Parmar and President Municipal Council Mr. AS Satyal besides Deputy Commissioner Mr. GK Singh and SSP Mr. Jatinder Singh Aulakh. Several leaders and party workers of SAD-BJP besides SGPC members also attended
