Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today offered fulsome support and cooperation to the Army for the setting up of Drug de-addiction centers in the border districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur besides at Jalandhar.An assurance to this effect was given by the Chief Minister to the General Officer in Commanding-in-Chief Western Command Lieutenant General KJ Singh, AVSM, who called on him at his residence this afternoon.The Chief Minister assured of all possible help for this philanthropic cause and asked the Army Officer and state government officers to jointly work out the modalities for the establishment of such centers. He also offered to allot land free of cost to the Army authorities for these Drug de-addiction centers to be manned by them. Likewise, Mr. Badal also impressed upon the top officer of Western Command to work out a plan for a big project for the development of Border areas jointly with the state government in core sectors of Health and Education, which were currently in a state of sheer neglect due to apathetic attitude of the previous Union government towards this genuine cause.
The Chief Minister said that since Army had vast experience and expertise to handle such projects efficiently that's why he was insisting to optimally utilise their potential for the successful implementation of these schemes. He also narrated his success story of roping in the services of top Army brass in efficaciously running the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Academy at Mohali, rejuvenation of prestigious Dashmesh Academy at Sri Anandpur Sahib, bringing transparency in the Punjab Public Service Commission and recently handing over the prestigious projects of special schools to a senior most Army officer at the helm of affairs.Responding to the proposals put forth by the Chief Minister for setting up of Drug de-addiction centers and a prestigious project in border area aimed at providing the best Health and Education facilities, Lieutenant General KJ Singh welcomed this initiative adding he said the Army would leave no stone unturned in realising these dream projects of Chief Minister into reality. He said both these projects could be aptly implemented with mutual participation of Army and state government.
Expressing gratitude to the Chief Minister for extending all possible support and cooperation to the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General KJ Singh said that the Punjab Model was best in the country for successfully managing the affairs of PESCO besides safeguarding the interest of ex-servicemen, with perceptible large concentration in the state. He also lauded the state government's unique initiative for building state-of-the Art war museum at Amritsar-Attari road to showcase the gallantry deeds of Army officers and soldiers. Lieutenant General KJ Singh also appreciated Chief Minister's vision for the upcoming Armed Forces Preparatory Academy for Girls at Mohali after beaming success of similar institute for boys, to maintain state's enviable position in the Armed services since time immemorial, which had gradually declined over the past several years. The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretaries Mr. KJS Cheema and Dr. S Karunraju and CMD PESCO Lieutenant General (Retd.) Kuldeep Singh.