Chandigarh, Jan 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) Asserting that the secular foundations of India's Constitution would continue to stand firm, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday vowed to protect one and all, irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
The Chief Minister said the nation's unity was inviolable, notwithstanding the discordant voices being raised in the current scenario.
Pointing out the resolution passed by the state Assembly (on CAA) was there for all to see, the Chief Minister made it clear that the state would not allow the country's secular fabric to be destroyed at any cost.
Greeting the people on the 71st Republic Day, the Chief Minister said, "secularism was the message of our Guru, whose philosophy of 'Na koyi Hindu, Na koyi Musalman, Sab Rab ke bande' is imbued in our consciousness."
On the occasion, Amarinder Singh unfurled the tricolour, and also took the salute at a colourful parade in Mohali near here, followed by a cultural extravaganza by school children.
For the first time this year, the Republic Day celebrations in the state witnessed an inspiring display by the Special Operations Group (SOG), constituted by the Chief Minister as an elite, specially trained force to combat terrorism, infiltration, hijacking and other sensitive threat situations.
In his speech, he said Punjab was blessed by the historic opening of Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate 'Khule Darshan Didar' of the revered gurdwara that was touched by the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev's presence.
The state was also honoured to be celebrating the 550th birth anniversary year of Guru Nanak Dev, the 399th birth anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur, the 100th birth anniversary of Acharya Shri Mahapragya -- the 10th head of Svetambar Terapanth order of Jainism, the 750th birth anniversary of Bhagat Namdev and the 350th birth anniversary of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, he said.
At the same time, his government would continue to work dedicatedly for the progress of Punjab, which had attracted unprecedented investment over the last two years, said the Chief Minister, pointing to the Rs 57,735 crore investment secured on the ground.
He said the efforts to bring in industry would continue, in order to tackle unemployment, which he termed as the biggest challenge faced by the state.
Underlining the importance of environmental protection in the face of the global warming, which was adversely impacting weather patterns, Amarinder Singh said so far 76 lakh saplings had been planted across all villages and towns in the state. He appealed to every citizen to contribute to the care of these saplings.
The Chief Minister also underscored the importance given by his government to promoting healthcare and ensuring access to affordable healthcare to the people through the Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana, covering 48 lakh families totalling 2.2 crore people as against the 14 lakh families covered by the government of India under scheme.
More than 1 lakh people have already availed free cashless treatment under the Yojana, he added. The new AIIMS at Bathinda had also become functional, he said.
Terming the drug menace as an issue of grave concern, the Chief Minister said his government remained committed to the total elimination of the problem.
The Special Task Force set up to tackle the menace had shown excellent results with 34,373 cases registered so far under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and 42,571 people having been arrested with recovery of 974 kg heroin.
More than one lakh addicts are being treated at the 193 outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centres established by the government.
Expressing concern on the issue of safety of women, the Chief Minister said apart from the free pick and drop facility by the state police, 'One Stop Sakhi' centres had been established in all districts for the "protection of our daughters".
On the depleting water table, the Chief Minister stressed upon the need to conserve water, whose level had come down to less than 13 MAF (million acre-feet), as a result of 73 per cent of it being used for irrigation purposes.
Source: IANS
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