Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Chief of the Army staff Gen. Bikram Singh to help in expediting the setting up of the Service Selection Centre (North) at Ropar.Gen. Bikram Singh called on the Chief Minister at his residence this morning. Mr. Badal said that the state government had already handed over the 200 acres of prime land to the army for SSC, further action may be taken at the earliest. He said Punjab-the Sword Arm of India was keen to see large number of its sons to joining Armed Forces through SSC in conformity with its martial spirit as an age old tradition. Mr. Badal also sought his intervention for the clearance of civilian passage joining two army points of Islamabad in Amritsar.
Mr. Badal requested the army Chief to shortlist and recommend meritorious serving and retired army officers to help the state government for further intensifying its efforts to strengthen and revamp the education as well as infrastructural sectors in Punjab through their vast experience and expertise. He further said that some of the retired officers of the army were already rendering their valuable services to the state government in the education as well as the Infrastructure development sectors. Mr. Badal also asked him to provide valuable inputs for the world class War Memorial- Cum-Museum being setup at Amritsar at a cost of Rs. 100 crore.
Mr. Badal told the General Singh about the concerted efforts of the state government for make youth of the state more disciplined and physically fit to join armed forces through establishing Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institution Mohali, two NCC academies at Ropar and Malout, besides reviving the Sri Dasmesh Academy at Anandpur Sahib.
On the occasion, General Singh assured Mr. Badal of speeding up the process of the Service Selection Centre (North) at Ropar besides timely and expeditious repair of the roads in the border areas of the state. He also expressed his keenness to visit Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institution Mohali.Advisor (Media and National Affairs) to the Chief Minister Mr. Harcharan Bains and Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema were also present in the meeting.