Ranjit Singh’s fort in a shambles

Gurdaspur: It once housed the dazzling Kohinoor. Now, it’s a pale shadow of its former self. Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s fort at Dinanagar in Gurdaspur district is crumbling. The six gates built during the Maharaja’s rule with Nanakshahi bricks are also in a dilapidated condition. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials claim that they can step in only if the double-storeyed building is declared a heritage site, which is a long-drawn-out process. Deputy Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal says, “I will take up the issue with the authorities concerned. If we are unable to conserve our heritage, a time will come when we will be left with none.”

Badal’s charm offensive

Muktsar: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal recently visited Muktsar town for a sangat darshan programme and spent a night at the residence of Sant Singh Brar, former Gidderbaha constituency incharge of the Shiromani Akali Dal. Brar was succeeded by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s close aide Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy Dhillon’ after the 2012 Assembly elections. With Brar sidelined in the party, Badal rarely misses a chance to have lunch or dinner at his house, just to cheer him up.

Incorrigible indeed

Muktsar: Facing public wrath for remaining absent from his constituency is not a new thing for Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya, who was on Saturday not allowed to attend the cremation of two farm labourers by some residents of Bhangchari village in Muktsar district. Recently, during the CM’s sangat darshan in Muktsar town, some people told him, “You are visible only when the CM comes!” Ghubaya gave them a broad smile, promising to make his visits frequent. During the 2014 parliamentary elections, some Akali workers had complained against him to their local leaders. SAD’s Muktsar constituency incharge Kanwarjit Singh ‘Rozy Barkandi’ had then publicly requested Ghubaya, with folded hands, not to make himself scarce from his constituency after winning the election.

Farmer’s pill for labour pangs

Muktsar: To tackle the shortage of labourers during the wheat harvesting and paddy sowing season, a progressive farmer, Gurcharan Singh Sidhu, has approached the district administration and the Agriculture Department. His idea: Tie up with the drought-affected states and bring their labourers to Punjab. Gurcharan claims that this move will not only provide work to the drought-hit poor people but also be beneficial for Punjab’s farmers. “Many farmers have approached me and appreciated this idea,” said Gurcharan.

CM faces mushroom on FB

Jalandhar: Going by Facebook, there are no less than a dozen candidates for the CM’s post in Punjab in the 2017 Assembly polls. From the Congress, there are FB pages such as ‘Amarinder Singh for CM Punjab’, ‘Mission 2017 Sada CM Captain’, ‘We support Partap Singh Bajwa for CM Punjab 2017’ and ‘Bibi Bhattal as Punjab Chief Minister’. Even as the SAD and the BJP are expected to contest together, with the former being the principal party, BJP supporters are projecting their leaders, including Vijay Sampla, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Sukhminder Pal Singh Grewal, as the CM face. On the AAP front, FB pages such as ‘Arvind Kejriwal for CM – Punjab’ and ‘Bhagwant Mann for next CM’ are becoming popular.

(Contributed by Archit Watts, Ravi Dhaliwal & Deepkamal Kaur)