Punjab CM stops unscheduled, interacts with auto-rickshaw drivers
Darpan News Desk IANS, 22 Nov, 2021 12:19 PM
Ludhiana, Nov 22 (IANS) Auto-rickshaw drivers in Punjab's industrial town Ludhiana on Monday received an unusual guest in the form of Chief Minister Charanjit Channi, who halted unscheduled on his way to the grain market to listen to their problems.
Taken by surprise, the drivers were elated as for the first time in the recent past any Chief Minister had came to them that too for listening their grievances in a 'chaupal' (meeting).
The Chief Minister, accompanying President of Punjab Congress, Navjot Sidhu, sat on a wooden bench amongst the auto rickshaw owners and interacted with them.
In his impeccable style, Chief Minister Channi relished the tea offered by them by dipping a 'mathi' in glass of tea.
During the interaction, the Chief Minister assured them to consider their genuine demands sympathetically. Due to huge rush of the auto rickshaw drivers, the Chief Minister then stood on the stool and addressed the gathering.
Striking an emotional chord, Channi said, during his initial days, he himself had driven an auto-rickshaw. Winning the hearts of the auto-rickshaw drivers, he announced that new registration certificates will be issued soon to them for preventing their harassment.
Channi also announced that all challans which are pending will be waived off. He asked the auto-rickshaw drivers to follow traffic rules and work honestly.
He also acceded to the demand of auto-rickshaw owners to draw a yellow line exclusively for plying of the auto-rickshaws.
Sajjan Kumar and two others are facing trial on charges of murder and rioting connected to the killing of a man in Delhi's Sultanpuri during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
The much-awaited corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur - the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev - with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur.
Addressing a session on Strategic Outlook for South Asia, Raghuram Rajan said Indian economy would continue to grow while growth rate is slowing down in China.
