Special campaign against petty crimes and chain snatchings

Amritsar, October 11: The Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today issued instructions for launching state wide campaign against petty crimes including snatchings and asked all District police chiefs to personally monitor this campaign.

Talking to media persons after reviewing the development projects of holy city of Amritsar and its adjoining areas, Badal said that he is not going to tolerate any laxity on law and order front and area SHO under whose command area a crime takes place, would be held accountable and responsible.

Badal said that DGP has been asked to launch a special drive against bad elements and 700 such people have already been booked by the state police. Badal said that he has already sanctioned an urban police model and a separate Rs.52 crore Rapid Rural Police Patrolling system that would become operational next month.

Vowing to curb the drug trafficking, Badal said that he was committed to free the youth from the menace of drugs and has already directed forfeiture of ill gotten properties of drug lords. He said that it was due to intensive campaign of Punjab Police that total recoveries in the state were more than half of the national recovery.

Badal informed that within next 6 months all the corporation cities of the state would be put under high-tech close circuit cameras surveillance to keep a strict vigil on any mischief by bad elements.

Badal said that Amritsar was all set to get a new look with today’s meeting approving Rs.2951 crore projects for holy city and its periphery towns. Mr. Badal said that Punjab government has already requisitioned the services of an international expert town planner to draw the blue print of development of holy city while maintaining its heritage look and character. He said that the purpose of total exercise was to put Amritsar on international tourist circuit and to prolong the stay of international tourists from existing one night to minimum six nights. He said that his plan includes a religious-cum-historic tourist circuit including visit to retreat ceremony at Attari border, Goindwal, Tarn Taran, Khadoor Sahib, Gobindgarh Fort, Harmandir Sahib, Durgiana Mandir, Jallianwala Bagh and Ram Tirath. He said that this could be possible only if we upgrade the infrastructure of holy city to international level and tourists feel at home while roaming in the city.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the plan envisions an entertainment hub at Attari border with food court, historical exhibition ground besides light and sound and laser show on the pattern of Singapore. Reviewing the development works, Badal said that he has already approved Rs.8745 crore urban development projects for 142 towns and Amritsar would be the first city to taste the fruit of integrated development. He said that according to the development model all urban services including sewerage, water supply, internal road networks, road engineering, beautification of parks, greening of pavements, street lights would be developed and maintained by a single agency and that agency would be responsible for its upkeep for next 10 years. He said that multiple agencies, overlapping works hinder the progress of the city and Amritsar was all set to don a new look in next 3 years.

He also reviewed the implementation of pod project and asked tourism department to open tourist facilitation kiosks at important points and depute English, French and Spanish knowing tourist guides who should be well conversant with the Sikh history and culture of Amritsar. He also asked tourism department to promote Amritsar cuisine at international fora as Amritsar is known for it. He asked that development and promotion of heritage village be handed over to professional tourism agency having experience in running such establishments.

On this occasion Bikram Singh Majithia, Revenue and Rehabilitation Minister directed the Corporation authorities to make a complete plan for covering the open channel carrying sewerage water along with bypass and creating multiple problems from unbearable stinking to overflowing resultantly damaging the Majitha road. He also asked to explore the commercial viability of this project besides providing a much needed relief to the people living in adjoining areas.

Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Inderbir Singh Bolaria and Navjot Kaur Sidhu, both Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, Bakshi Ram Arora, Mayor Amritsar, Ashok Kumar Gupta, Director Local Bodies, Karmjit Singh Sra, Director Tourism & Cultural Affairs, Manvesh Singh Sidhu and Ajay Kumar Mahajan, both Special Principal Secretaries to Deputy Chief Minister, Rajat Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner and Dharm Pal Gupta, Commissioner Municipal Corporation Amritsar.