Jalandhar, February 23
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has demanded a special comprehensive package from the Centre for the development of the border areas.

He also extended an invitation to union home minister P. Chidambaram to visit the border to see the problems being faced by people of the area.

The union home minister was today at Khatkar Kalan to lay the foundation stone of the Centre-state-sponsored memorial of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh being built at a cost of Rs 16.18 crore.

Badal expressed grave concern over the smuggling of narcotics from across the international border.

“I urge the home minister to take up this issue with the BSF authorities to immediately seal the border to curb this menace in order to save the Punjabi youth,” he added.

“To perpetuate the legacy of our martyrs and inculcate the spirit of nationalism
and patriotism amongst our younger generation the government had chalked out
an ambitious programme under which this state-of-the-art memorial is being set
up,” he revealed.

Giving the details of the project, Badal said it would include the extension of the existing museum along with the upgradation of the library near the martyr’s house.

The museum would be divided into three sections depicting the life of Bhagat
Singh, he said.

The first section would depict the childhood of the martyr, second would display all the related martial material till the time when Bhagat, along with other co-revolutionaries gunned down Saunder’s and the third section would depict the incarceration and trial of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, he added.

Three statues of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev would also be installed at the entry besides three audio-visual complexes would be unique feature of the museum.

Chidambaram, while paying tributes to the martyrs, said, “The spirit of patriotism must be inculcated among all of us.”

Others who paid tributes included union minister of tourism and culture Ambika Soni and adviser to the Chief Minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema.

Others who addressed the gathering included MLA Jatinder Singh Kariha, former minister and PPCC chief Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Abhay Singh Sandhu and Kiranjit Singh (both nephews of the martyr).

The leader of opposition in the Punjab assembly, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, and many senior leaders and party workers from all walks of life and the political parties also attended the function.

Amritsar, February 23
The police refused the activists of the Shahid Bhagat Singh Naujwan Sabha (SBSNS) and the Punjab Students Federation (PSF) to enter the Jallianwala Bagh here today.

It was for the first time that member of any organisation was not allowed inside the national martyr memorial.

The police beat up the activists of the Bharatiya Naujawan Sabha and the Punjab Students Union for damaging open air stage in the Bagh on January 12.

It led to enforcement of stringent rules which prohibited holding of rally inside the historic Bagh without the permission of the deputy commissioner.

Taking precautionary measure, the police personnel blocked the entrance for all kind of visitors to the Bagh for sometime.

Irked at this the activists, majority of whom were college students, raised slogans against the government and administration and set on a march.

PSF general secretary Gurjinder Singh Randhawa said they only wished to pay tributes to martyrs before starting the march demanding equal education, health and employment opportunities. Raising slogans they demanded equal chances of growth to all without any priority.

They concluded their march at Hall gate and proceeded to visit various villages on motorbikes. Randhawa said ordinary people were feeling the pinch caused by economic meltdown affected by capitalistic policies. He added that purchasing power of people had come down and jobs were scarce to find.

The SBSNS and PSF demanded that right to work be included in fundamental right, restoration of original model of Jallianwala Bagh, monetary allowance to qualified youth as per their qualification and establishment of Bhagat Singh Chair in any university of the state.

Pathankot, February 23
Mahashivratri was celebrated with fervour and religious gaiety here today. Thousands of people offered prayers to Lord Shiva in temples at Dinanagar, Gurdaspur, Sujanpur, Shahpur Kandi and Kathgarh.

Hoshiarpur: Devotees thronged temples of Lord Shiva in Hoshiarpur and offered prayers. Free langars were also arranged at many places.

Tarn Taran: A shobha yatra dedicated to Mahashivratri was organised here on Monday in which people from all walks of life participated.

Dr Rattan Singh, Ajnala MP and the SAD candidate from the Lok Sabha constituency Khadoor Sahib, MLA Harmit Singh Sandhu too participated. The yatra passed through the bazaars of the town.

Batala: Thousands of devotees on Mahashivratri paid obeisance at Achaleshwar Temple, 5 km from here, on the Batala-Jalandhar road and at ancient Shiv Temple at Kalanaur village, 22 km from here, today.

Special prayers and pooja were performed in the temples. Local temples also saw a heavy rush of devotees.

The police had made special security and traffic arrangements to manage the rush. Langars were arranged at the temples.

“Since the academy’s building is under-construction, the seminars and workshops would all be held at the KL Saigal Memorial Hall till it is ready. The classes for students will also have to wait till at least one year,” she said.

Jalandhar, February 23
Two unidentified robbers struck at a house of an industrialist in Akash Colony in broad daylight today and decamped with jewellery, cash and other valuable worth lakhs of rupees.

The incident happened when industrialist Satnam Singh was attending to his ailing mother at a private hospital.

According to his Satnam’s wife Satinder Kaur, the masked and turbaned robbers locked the domestic help in the bathroom before tying her up with ropes. They threatened her with a knife.

They then directed her to handover the cash and other valuables, Satinder Kaur said. After collecting the cash and valuables, the robbers decamped.

The case came to light when another servant Jyoti of the industrialist found the house locked from outside after which she untied Satinder Kaur.

SHO Balbir Singh said the miscreants also injured Satinder Kaur at her arms. The police has started investigation after registering a case under sections 458 and 380 of the IPC at Police station division No 8.

A free langar was also arranged by an NGO of Chabewal.