‘Will probe irregularities in distribution of sports kits’
Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday said a thorough probe will be carried out into the alleged irregularities in distribution of sports kits to youth clubs across the state during the previous Akali government.
The chief minister (CM) gave the assurance in response to a query by Congress legislator Rajinder Beri during the question hour.
Beri asked the CM about the criteria for distributing sports kits, the names of persons or clubs to whom they were given in Jalandhar Central assembly segment and whether the state government was planning to probe irregularities.
“No misappropriation in the intended use of sports kits meant for youth across the state will be tolerated or condoned, and if any irregularity comes to light the responsibility will be fixed and guilty will be sternly dealt with,” said the CM.
Amarinder said the selection of beneficiaries by the previous regime was done by a selection committee under the chairmanship of deputy commissioner, with no political persons as members.
MLA SEEKS TRAFFIC RULES AS SUBJECT
Congress MLA Gurkirat Singh asked the government to introduce traffic rules as a subject in the state-run schools.
“If we teach traffic rules to children from primary classes, it will be a great help,” said the legislator during the question hour.
Appreciating his concern, education minister Aruna Chaudhary said the Punjab School Education Board had introduced lessons on traffic rules in its books to create awareness among children.
When the Congress MLA reiterated his demand, she said there was no need to do more at this stage.
‘₹45 CR TO IMPROVE FIRE SERVICES’
Local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu announced the government would set up a separate directorate with an initial budget of ₹45 crore to improve fire services in the state.
“The CM is keen to make them better. He said that pizza arrives in 15 minutes, but fire brigade takes five hours when there is any fire in the fields,” the minister said in response to Congress MLA Navtej Singh Cheema’s question on nonavailability of fire-fighting infrastructure in and around Sultanpur Lodhi.
Sidhu said the rules allowed fire stations in towns with population of 50,000, whereas Sultanpur Lodhi had 16,000 people as per the 2011 Census. He said the state needed 550 fire brigades, but had only 150 and 114 of them were outdated.