PM promised Anand Karaj Act: Amarinder
Tuesday, 13/09/2011
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Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has assured that the Centre will soon be taking necessary steps to introduce the Anand Karaj Marriage Act.
He gave this assurance to the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh, who met him in New Delhi on Monday, along with several senior party leaders from the state.
PM also assured the delegation about setting up of a super-speciality cancer hospital in the Malwa region, where a large number of people are suffering from the chronic disease.
Releasing the deliberations of the meeting in Chandigarh this evening, Amarinder claimed that Dr Manmohan Singh was in total agreement with him on the issue of the Anand Karaj Marriage Act. “PM also spoke to Home Minister P Chidambaram and Law Minister Salman Khurshid on the issue,” he disclosed.
PPCC president also briefed the PM about the widespread prevalence of cancer in the Malwa belt owing to the use of the contaminated water in the area, which was full of toxic matter.
“We brought to the notice of PM the problem of pollution caused by the industry from Ludhiana and Jalandhar and sought the Centre’s help to sort out the problem,” he said.
Former Punjab Chief Minister said the PM felt quite concerned about the spread of cancer in Malwa belt and assured that Centre will look into the matter.
“Not only did he assure about setting up a specialised cancer hospital in the area, but also measures to check the spread of this deadly disease,” Amarinder said.
The Congress delegation also raised the issue of the barbed wire on the Indo-Pak border, which was several meters inside the international border, following which the farmers having their land outside the barbed wire face a lot of problems in cultivating their land.
The delegation urged the PM that the barbed wire may be shifted right up to the international border. “PM assured that he will look into the matter so that some compensation could be worked out for the affected farmers,” further claimed the former CM.
The delegation also urged Manmohan Singh to grant a special industrial package to Punjab, particularly the border areas, which have remained least developed due to their remoteness. It also pointed out that Punjab had suffered a lot due to special industrial packages given to Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand by the previous NDA government at the Centre. It further sought special flood relief package for Punjab.
Amarinder apprised the PM the serious flood situation in the state, which has led to widespread devastation in several areas. He urged him for special relief for the flood affected people.
The delegation told the PM about the refusal of Haryana government to build siphons along the Hansi-Butana canal, which has resulted in blockade of water and an imminent threat of floods.
“Unfortunately the state government had failed to take any proactive action apparently in a bid to politicise issue and reap electoral benefits,” alleged the PPCC chief, while urging the PM to intervene and ask Haryana to at least construct siphons along the canal to ensure free flow of water lest it floods vast areas in Punjab. MP Sukhdev Singh Libra, former Punjab Ministers Lal Singh, Rana Sodhi, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Harminder Jassi and former MP Rana Gurjeet Singh were part of the delegation.
