Jalandhar, May 27 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday gave clarion call for launching a mass movement to save water and environment in the state.
The Chief Minister, who was here to participate in a function to mark 34th death anniversary of Sant Avtar Singh, expressed deep concern over the depleting groundwater table and polluting environment in the state.
He said immediate remedial steps are required to save the only precious and scarce natural resource of Punjab viz the water and check environmental pollution.
Mann said this cannot be done by the government alone but people's participation is must by launching a vigorous mass awareness campaign to sensitise them about its significance especially in the wake of global warming.
Showing concern over the gravity of emerging situation following the fast depleting water table, the Chief Minister said almost all blocks in the state are in dark zone as far as the groundwater is concerned.
Mann said it is really pathetic to learn that the same high powered motors that are used to extract oil in Dubai and other Arab nations are being used for gushing out groundwater in the state. He said reckless trend needs to be checked immediately so that the future generations do not have to strive for water.
The Chief Minister further said, on its part the state government is trying to ensure optimum utilisation of surface water in the state for reducing pressure on groundwater.
Likewise, he said that this year the government has incentivised direct sowing of rice (DSR) and 20 lakh acres are expected to be cultivated under it, which will save the water.
On an issue flagged by Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, Mann said that he would raise the matter related to desilting of the Gidderpindi railway bridge with the Railways Minister.
He said the deposit of silt under the bridge has been creating havoc with life and property of people by flooding the region after short span.
Lauding the marvellous services rendered by Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, the Chief Minister said he had ushered a new revolution for saving the environment through his dedication and commitment.
He said that the life of Sant Seechewal will remain inspiration for all.
The six companies and their directors were charged with conspiring with a company that provides telephone services over the internet, E Sampark, and its director, Guarav Gupta, "to forward tens of millions of scam calls to American consumers".
Ten of the arrested persons have been identified as Neeraj Kumar, Amir, Sandhya, Neeta Rawat, Muskaan, Harpreet Kaur, Nisha, Jaya and Deepika Moni, all residents of Delhi, and Sonu, a resident of Haryana.
Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said the alliance government will set up a special task force to probe the sacrilege incidents and fast-track courts to try such cases.
The ED on late Thursday arrested him after over eight hours of questioning. He was summoned for the second time. Honey was earlier summoned by the ED to join the investigation on January 23, but he skipped the first summon on health issues and did not join the investigation.
Leaving behind his celebrated tag of a top Punjabi rap singer with fans across the globe, singer-turned-actor-politician Sidhu Moosewala, who was booked for allegedly promoting gun culture and violence, takes pride in crediting his mother Charan Kaur, sarpanch of his native Moosa village, for making his electoral debut as a Congress candidate from Mansa for the February 20 Assembly polls.
With his assurance a power struggle is on between party state President Navjot Sidhu and Charanjit Singh Channi, the first Dalit Chief Minister of a state that is home to 32 per cent Scheduled Caste population, the country's largest, to be the chief ministerial candidate.
