Reiterating that vicious efforts of Haryana Congress Government to wrest the control of Gurdwaras in the state would not be tolerated at any cost, the Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal has asked the government of India to take suitable steps to prevent the atmosphere from vitiating further as the HSGMC leaders are issuing threatening statements that “if they {SGPC} fails to vacate the shrines, anything may happen anytime”. He was talking to media persons in the information office of Golden Temple, after partaking in Bhog of Sri Akhand Path Sahib along with his better half Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal Union Food Processing Minister.He stressed that this Congress sponsored provocation is self-indicative of the fact that these dejected Sikh leaders believe in confrontation and wants to disrupt the peace and tranquillity in the Sikh shrines of Haryana.
Badal said that Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) was constituted after the enormous sacrifices made by Sikh panth during the British Raj but the infamous activities of Haryana government were aimed at weakening this august religious body. Adding further he said that ever since independence the Congress party has confronted Punjab politically, socially, economically and even religiously. Deputy CM said that by constituting separate committee for management of Gurdwaras in the state, the Congress has inflicted a third major assault on the Sikhs after Operation Blue Star and 1984 anti-Sikh riots which could not be tolerated at any cost. Answering a query pertaining the regularization of unauthorized colonies post property related legislation of 1995, Mr. Badal said that cent-percent NOCs have been issued to plot holders who had applied for regularization as per the policy guidelines issued by the Punjab Government and have cleared the total payment. The remaining plot holders have been advised to clear 100 percent payment required for regularization besides clearing discrepancies in their papers, so that NOCs could be issued to them at the earliest. He said that all such plot holders have been issued notices in this regard. Mr. Badal said that all plot holders having NOCs can undertake sale and purchase of plots/properties on the basis of NOCs and get their sale deed registered in the office of concerned sub-registrar. The NOCs would also allow plot/property holders to get their water/sewerage and electricity connections.
Talking about assembly by-elections in Patiala and Talwandi Sabo slated to be held on August 21, Mr. Sukhbir Badal said that SAD-BJP would contest on development issue and emerge victorious on both the seats.Countering the allegation that despite declaring Punjab as power surplus State, there is inadequate supply of power, Mr. Badal replied that the State is all equipped to be power surplus having power plants with a capacity to the tune of 5000 MW but the previous UPA regime had not approved adequate provision of coal linkage and so there is an acute shortage of coal to the power plants. As soon as the paucity of coal supply is made up for, the power plants would function to their full capacity. Later, Deputy CM reviewed the progress of Golden Temple Plaza and directed the officials to complete the work on war footing.