Hoshiarpur- Punjab's Minister for Defence Services Welfare, Freedom Fighters and Horticulture Mohinder Bhagat hoisted the national flag at the district level function organized at the local Police Line Ground, Hoshiarpur on the occasion of 79th Independence Day. MLA Bram Shankar Jimpa and Dr. Ishank Kumar were specially present at the function. The Cabinet Minister, along with Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain and SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik and Parade Commander DSP Manpreet Kaur Shimar, inspected the parade and took salute from the grand march past. On this occasion, a grand mass PT show and cultural program were presented by school children and there was a bang of Giddha and Bhangra. The Cabinet Minister also honored the families of freedom fighters and martyred soldiers who had specially come to the function. Similarly, where he handed over sewing machines, motor tricycles, tricycles and wheel chairs to the needy, he also provided scholarships to meritorious students. Apart from this, distinguished personalities in various fields and officers and employees who showed good performance were also honored.
During this, a grand march past was performed and salute was given by the band of District Police, District Women's Police, Punjab Home Guards, NCC, Girls Guides, Boys Scouts and PRTC Jahankhel. Tableaux depicting development by various departments were the center of special attraction.
Chief guest Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat congratulated the district residents on Independence Day and paid his heartfelt respects to the thousands of patriotic heroes who sacrificed their lives in the long struggle for the country's independence. He said that he has got the privilege of hoisting the national flag on the land of the most educated district of the state and known as the city of saints. He said that Punjabis have contributed the most during the freedom struggle. The Cabinet Minister said that the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is eager to make the state a colorful, laughing and happy Punjab again. He said that today Punjab is making its own identity in every sector. He said that to raise the standard of living of the people of the state and give them maximum benefit of government schemes, the Punjab government has implemented many revolutionary decisions. These include the expansion of Aam Aadmi Clinics, new ambulances, free electricity, EG registry, cleaning of ponds and tanks of all villages of Punjab for the first time after independence, providing water to the tails, war against drugs, campaign against corruption, construction of rural playgrounds, giving preparation allowances to players before jobs and major sports competitions, health insurance of 10 lakhs for all and formation of industrialists' committees for the development of industries are such decisions with which Punjab is taking steps towards writing new verses of progress. Similarly, he also mentioned the Road Safety Force, the Angel Scheme, Punjab becoming number one in the education sector, providing 55,000 jobs to the unemployed, training for teachers abroad, door-step services and many other pro-people initiatives. He said that this year the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji will be celebrated on a grand scale by the Punjab government, under which there is a plan to plant 3.50 lakh saplings in each district of Punjab.
The Cabinet Minister said that the Punjab government is committed to the respect and welfare of the families of freedom fighters and martyred soldiers. He said that the state government is giving 13 percent reservation in direct recruitment to ex-servicemen and their dependents. He said that in salute to the martyrdom of the martyred soldiers of the state, an ex-gratia amount of Rs. 1 crore is being given to their families to strengthen them financially. He said that so far this grant has been given to 30 families of martyred soldiers.
Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat said that the Sainik Rest House of Hoshiarpur has been renovated and facilities like computer courses are being provided to ex-servicemen and their families. The Cabinet Minister also made special mention of the Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Memorial, Thana and Eco Tourism Project developed at Chauhal Dam constructed at Sri Khuralgarh Sahib, besides the state’s first Biofertilizer Laboratory and Digital Library at Hoshiarpur.
On this occasion, District and Sessions Judge Rajinder Agarwal, DIG Jalandhar Range Naveen Singla, Director Tourism Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari, Mayor Municipal Corporation Surinder Kumar, Chairperson District Planning Committee Karamjit Kaur, Chairman Nagar Sudhar Trust Gurvinder Singh Pabla, Chairman Backfinco Sandeep Saini, Chairman The Hoshiarpur Central Cooperative Bank Vikram Sharma, Vice Chairman Punjab Industrial Development Corporation Harminder Singh Bakshi, Senior Deputy Mayor Praveen Saini, Deputy Mayor Ranjit Chaudhary, Chairman Market Committee Jaspal Chechi, District Coordinator of Nasha Mukti Morcha Satwant Singh Sian, District Media Incharge Kulwinder Singh Hundal, Women Wing President Manjot Kaur, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Nicas Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner (G) Amarbir Kaur Bhullar, Assistant Commissioner Oishi Mandal, Commissioner Municipal Corporation Jyoti Bala Mattu, SDM Gursimranjit Kaur, SP Navneet Kaur Gill, SP Dr. Mukesh, District Bar Association President Advocate P.S. Ghuman, General Secretary Advocate Navjinder Singh Bedi, besides judicial, civil and police administration officials, teachers of schools, colleges, students and city residents were present in large numbers.