150 booked for blocking road, Daduwal backs protesters
The Sikh preacher sees a conspiracy behind closure of the plant
BATHINDA: Police have booked over 150 people, protesting against the closure of the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP), for blocking the Bathinda–Mansa road outside the district administrative complex, on Tuesday. Contract employees, joined by their family members, farmers and traders had blocked the road on Tuesday.
Some of the 11 people booked by name are Rajinder Singh Dhillon, Gursewak Singh Sandhu and state secretary of Punjab Khet Majdoor Union Lachhman Singh Sewewala. Contract employees continued their protests outside the district administrative complex for the 24th day. On Wednesday, Sikh religious preacher and the parallel jathedar (high priest) of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Bal- jit Singh Daduwal, joined the employees’ protest outside the gate of the thermal plant.
“The shutdown smacks of a conspiracy to close a plant named after Guru Nanak,” he said, adding religious sentiments of the Sikhs were attached to the plant, as its foundation stone was laid on the 500th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
AAP TO RAISE ISSUE IN ASSEMBLY
Rupnagar Leader of opposition in Punjab assembly Sukhpal Singh Khaira has said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would raise the issue of the closure of the (GNDPT), Bathinda, and two units of Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant, Rupnagar in the budget session of the assembly. “Capt Amarinder’s decision smacks of feudalism. The government should issue a white paper,” Khaira added.
“The government will also shutdown the remaining four units of Rupnagar Thermal Plant as Capt Amarinder Singh has sought the feasibility report in this regard,” he added, claiming that a political mafia would take possession of land of these plants and earn profit by constructing malls and colonies. “Farmers, whose land was acquired for the thermal plant, must be assured that their land will be returned to them and will not be used for any other purpose,” he said.
AAP Punjab co-president Aman Arora, MLAs Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Amarjit Singh Sandoa, AAP leaders Narinder Singh Shergill, Charanjit Singh, Hardyal Singh Bains and RK Tiwari, Harmesh Dhiman and Kuldeep Singh addressed the dharna.