Give ₹1 lakh each to Covid victims’ kin: Bajwa to CM

SAYS KIDS WHO LOSE ONE OR BOTH PARENTS TO VIRUS BE GIVEN MONTHLY ALLOWANCE AND FREE EDUCATION TILL THEY PURSUE UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE

CHANDIGARH : Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday urged Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to release Rs 1 lakh each to families of those who died due to Covid-19 in the state.

In a letter to the CM, Bajwa, who suggested a slew of measures for supporting such families, also said all children who have lost one or both parents during this time be given a monthly allowance and free education till they pursue undergraduate degree in the state. “These children will face huge obstacles during their lifetime due to the death of one or both parents,” he wrote. He posted the letter on Twitter, tagging Amarinder and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Stating that the state had witnessed the tragic demise of 12,000 people, the Congress leader requested the state government to create a robust and flexible system to ensure that all children who have lost their primary caregivers to Covid-19 are able to avail the best mental healthcare in the state. “These steps will assure Punjabis that the government will not shirk its responsibility and duty,” the

former state Congress chief said.

MP meets Dhindsa

A day after Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa launched a new political party, Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt), Partap Singh Bajwa met the veteran leader at his residence in Chandigarh. The meeting between the two aroused curiosity in political circles. However, both Bajwa and Dhindsa said nothing much should be read into their meeting. “We are family friends. My father and he were MLAS together. It was a personal visit,” Bajwa said.

Dhindsa and former Lok Sabha MP Ranjit Brahmpura, who separated themselves from the Badals-led Shiromani Akali Dal after the 2017 state polls, have come together to form the new party with the former as its president.