In a bid to tackle the menace of drugs in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Health department to work out a viable proposal for delegating the powers like Drug Inspector’s to the Senior Medical Officers (SMOs) to raid and take action against the Chemist shops involved in illegal selling of drugs.
A decision to this effect was taken by Mr. Badal during a meeting with a delegation of Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) led by its President Mr. Balbir Singh Rajewal here at Punjab Bhawan this morning. On the issue raised by the delegation that due to the shortage of the drug Inspectors, administration was helpless to take any strict legal action against the erring Chemists especially in the rural areas, Mr. Badal asked Health and Family Welfare Minister Mr. Madan Mohan Mittal who was also present in the meeting, to take early necessary action in this regard.
Expressing concern over the situation Mr. Badal said that it was the responsibility of the Centre to safeguard the International borders and take effective measures to check the menace of drug trafficking through intensified patrolling by the BSF and other Central Para-military forces which were under Centre’s control directly. He further said that open sale of poppy husk in neigbouring state Rajasthan was also imposing a great threat to Punjab. Mr. Badal said that SAD-BJP government had already taken strict actions to control drug menace and seized a large quantity of drugs during its regime.
Ensuring the improvement of link road network in the state, Mr. Badal informed the delegation that government had prepared a comprehensive plan to repair 13,000 KM of link roads at a cost of Rs. 1700 crore.
Responding to another demand of the union regarding the one time settlement scheme to settle the Loans of the farmers, Mr. Badal agreed to extend the scheme up to June 30, 2013.Mr. Badal approved to constitute a committee comprising the representatives of Animal Husbandry Department, PAU, MILKFED, Progressive Dairy Farmers and a representative of BKU (Rajewal) to study the viability of dairy farming in the state. Mr. Badal also assured to give due representation to the farmers in various District Grievances Committees.
Regarding the issues related to power supply, Mr. Badal directed the Chairman POWERCOM to take immediate necessary action to settle all the power related issues amicably. He also mentioned that state government had already paying Rs. 5000 crore annually to the POWERCOM on the count of free power to farmers for irrigation in the state. The Chief Minister asked the farmers to adopt drip irrigation to save the water. He also informed that government was preparing a plan to provide a subsidy on solar pumps.
On the issue of adulteration in fertilizers, the Director Agriculture informed in the meeting that department had collected 2770 samples out of which 77 samples have failed and necessary legal action was being taken against these erring firms.
During the meeting, the Secretary Mandi Board informed that to facilitate the farmers, the state government was setting up three new timber markets, two in district Hoshiarpur and one at Balachaur in district Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.
In order to prevent the loss of the farmers due to the frequent invasion of wild animals in their fields, Mr. Badal informed that the Forest Department had already raised 28 KM chain link fencing across the sanctuaries out of 81 KM and remaining would also be completed at a cost of Rs. 13.74 crore in the state.
Prominent amongst who attended the meeting included the Health & Family Welfare Minister Mr. Madan Mohan Mittal, Financial Commissioner Development Mr. GS Sandhu, Financial Commissioner Revenue Mr. NS Kang, Financial Commissioner Forest Mr. DS Bains, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. SK Sandhu, Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry Mr. G Vajralingam, Secretary Power Mr. Anirudh Tiwari, Principal Chief Conservator Forest Mr. HS Gujral, Secretary Mandi Board Mr. Deepinder Singh, Director Rural Development Mr. Karuna Raju, MD MILKFED Dr. Balwinder Singh Sidhu, Chairman PPCB Mr. Ravinder Singh, Chairman Power Com KD Chaudhary, Director Agriculture Mr. Mangal Singh Sandhu and Director Dairy Development Mr. Inderjeet Singh besides other officers of the
state administration and the office bearers of the BKU.