Punjab CM invites President and PM to attend historic opening of Kartarpur Corridor

New Delhi, October 3, 2019: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday invited President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the 550th Prakash Purb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev ji, including the historic opening of the Kartarpur Corridor. In separate meetings with them here, the Chief Minister urged them to join the mega events to mark the auspicious occasion. Captain Amarinder later told mediapersons both had accepted the state government’s invitation to be a part of the historic celebrations and modalities for their visit would be finalized after the Kartarpur Corridor opening programme is frozen with Pakistan. An official spokesperson said the detailed official programme of events had been shared with both, the President and the Prime Minister, and they had been requested by the Chief Minister to attend as per their convenience. However, the Chief Minister had urged them both to, in particular, participate in the Kartarpur Corridor opening at Dera Baba Nanak and the November 12 main programme at Sultanpur Lodhi. The Chief Minister also met and invited former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to join the 1st all party Jatha to Kartarpur Sahib and participate in the main event. Dr Singh has accepted his invite, said the Chief Minister, who will lead the Jatha. At his meeting with the Prime Minister, Captain Amarinder also urged his personal intervention to facilitate political clearance for allowing a Special All Party Jatha to visit Sri Nankana Sahib, the birth place of the first Guru, now in Pakistan, on the historic occasion. He requested that a Group of 21 persons may be allowed to visit Sri Nankana Sahib to organise a Path on the occasion of the 550th Prakash Purb from 30th Oct to 3rd November, 2019, and bring a Nagar Kirtan to Sultanpur Lodhi via Amritsar (Wagah) later in the day. The Nagar Kirtan will arrive in Sultanpur Lodhi (District Kapurthala) on 4th November. The Chief Minister has also written a DO letter to Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar seeking formal clearance for the Nankana Sahib delegation visit and the Nagar Kirtan to be brought from Pakistan to Punjab, according to an official spokesperson. Giving details of the key events planned by the state government, from November 5 to November 15, in connection with the 550th birth anniversary celebrations, the Chief Minister. The flag off ceremony will be preceded by a brief public meeting of devotees at Dera Baba Nanak, he said. Further, in line with past practice, the Government of Punjab proposes to organize an All Party Meeting from 11.00 am to 02.00 pm on 1st November 2019 at Sultanpur Lodhi, he added. The complete logistic and security arrangements for this meeting of pilgrims/sangat were being made by the state government, the Chief Minister told the Prime Minister and the President, extending a warm invitation, on behalf of his government, to them to make this a memorable experience for one and all by joining the auspicious event. NO LINK BETWEEN PAK DRONE TERROR THREAT & 550TH PRAKASH PURB, SAYS CAPT AMARINDER New Delhi, October 3, 2019: Even as he asserted that the state government was fully prepared to counter the resurgence of terror threat from Pakistan, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday advised against linking this issue with the religious occasion of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. The two could not be connected, he told mediapersons in response to questions during an informal chat here. Asked about the tensions at the border, in the light of the recent recovery of two drones reportedly smuggling arms from Pakistan into Punjab, the Chief Minister said that had nothing to do with the Kartarpur Corridor opening to mark the 550th Prakash Purb. To a question if the matter was discussed during his meeting with the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister said he had met Narendra Modi only to extend an invite for the 550th Prakash Purb celebrations. The state government was dealing with the matter and was fully geared to maintain law and order in Punjab at any cost, he said, adding “we will not allow anyone to disturb the state’s peace and harmony.” Pakistan was trying to create disharmony and disturbance in Punjab not just through drones but also through infiltration and narco-terrorism, Captain Amarinder said. “We will not let that happen, we have no doubts that we are fully equipped to deal with them,” he added. In response to another question, the Chief Minister said he had asked the Indian Air Force and the Border Security Force to heighten alert at the border in view of the discovery of the drone infiltration. CAPT AMARINDER PROPOSES CANALIZATION OF PUNJAB’s 3 MAJOR RIVERS, DISCUSSES WAY FORWARD WITH PM New Delhi, October 3, 2019: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday urged the Central Government to take up canalisation of the state’s three eastern rivers of the Indus Water System as a national project, to enable conservation of water and enhancement of the region’s economic growth. In his proposal presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting here, the Chief Minister suggested construction of high speed economic corridors on 985 km-long river embankments, apart from river training works, flood protection measures and lining of internal side-slopes of the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas. The move, he said, would help the state enhance its ‘Jal Shakti’ (Water Power) to encourage diversification of agriculture, promote quality urbanization and colonization, and to speed up industrialization for better and quicker economic emancipation of our citizens. Complimenting the Prime Minister on his initiative to provide drinking water to each household in the country, through the creation of the new Ministry of Jal Shakti, and the inception of Jal (Water) Jeevan (Life) Mission and the “Nal se Jal” (Tap Water) scheme, Captain Amarinder said his government also stands committed to the cause of providing drinking water to its citizens under the initiative ‘Har Ghar Pani - Har Ghar Safai’ (Water and Sanitation for Every Household). The Chief Minister, while expressing concern over the state’s reduction in Jal Shakti at the time of India’s partition and against during the reorganization of the state in 1966, pointed out that the three perennial rivers of Sutlej, Ravi and Beas irrigate only about 27 percent of the state's cultivated area, leading to over-exploitation of the ground water. It is apprehended, he further noted, that seven districts of the state will transform into a desert in the near future, with sure signs of poverty revisiting these areas. Underlining the need to increase water productivity through augmentation and strengthening of water management, control and regulation infrastructure, Captain Amarinder suggested launch of the canalisation project with the Sutlej river, which would require an investment of about Rs.4000 crore (US $ 0.7 billion) over a period of 3 to 5 years, exclusive of external incentives such as commercial exploitation of Government and private land and waiver of taxes, duties and cesses, as relevant. The task may begin with a feasibility study that may be assigned to techno-economic experts of international repute, he suggested. The Chief Minister assured that the state would extend its full cooperation to get the proposal realised in terms of sending a team of officers from the Punjab Government to engage and discuss the same with the officials of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti. Captain Amarinder also underlined the need to harness the river water which was currently flowing into Pakistan during the monsoons. Pointing out that the three rivers as of now have kutcha (earthen) embankments, measuring 945.24 kms; (Sutlej 484.12 kms, Ravi 245.28 kms and Beas 215.84 kms), covering almost over 60 percent of State's area, he observed that the 1/3rd of the state’s population living in the riverfront areas was also suffering due to the flooding that occurs during the monsoon period. The canalization of rivers and development of riverfront areas will expand activities leading to widening of the base of Punjab's economy, diversifying economic activities and sources of livelihood for State's rapidly growing younger generation, he added.