Punjab Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister Mr Bharat Bhushan Ashu today announced that the state government would develop Sarabha, the ancestral village of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, as a “Model village”. He also said that in the next two months time, the state government would make efforts to redress all issues related to the village.He said this while addressing the gathering on the occasion of a state-state-level function being organised by the Punjab government on the Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha in the sports ground of Sarabha village, near here today.Mr Bharat Bhushan Ashu said that the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government is committed to promote the ideas of our great martyrs so that today’s society takes cue from it. He said that the state government has already decided to develop and restore all places related to the martyrs and Sarabha would also be developed as a “Model Village”. He informed that during the Independence Day celebrations at Ludhiana on August 15, 2018, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has already announced a grant of Rs 1 crore for the development of Sarabha village.The Minister said that soon, development works would be started from that grant, besides he also announced a grant of Rs 7 lakh for the village from his own discretionary funds.While hailing the contribution of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha in our freedom struggle, he said that it was only due to the efforts of our great martyrs that we are now breathing in free air.
MP Ravneet Singh Bittu said that he would raise the issue of declaring Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha as a “National Martyr” in the next Lok Sabha session. He said that he would raise this issue in the winter session of Lok Sabha in December. He said that several freedom fighters attained martyrdom for the independence of our country, and Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha was the youngest of them all. He also announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh for the development of Sarabha village from his discretionary funds.Earlier, both Mr Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Mr Ravneet Singh Bittu paid floral tributes to the statue of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha and also visited his ancestral house. They also attended the ongoing sports festival in the village grounds. During the finals of the football tournament, team from Kokri Kalan village defeated Ajitwal village team to clinch the title. Both the leaders later distributed prizes to the winners and also inaugurated new room being constructed in the village school.Prominent among those present on the occasion included SSP Khanna Mr Dhruv Dahiya, District Congress Committee (Rural) President Mr Gurdev Singh Lapran, Senior Congress leader Mr Major Singh Bhaini, SDM Ludhiana West Mr Damanjit Singh Mann, Zila Parishad Member Mr Prabhdeep Singh Narangwal, Mr Major Singh Mullanpur, Tehsildar Mr Kanwar Narinder Singh, Mr Harnek Singh Sarabha, Mr Bhupinder Singh Club President, besides several others.