Punjab finance minister meets Rajnath, seeks nod for two Schools

NEW DELHI: Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Wednesday met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and urged him to approve the establishment of two additional Sainik Schools in Gurdaspur and Bathinda of the state.

Badal said Punjab is the most decorated state in India in terms of military honours and gallantry awards but it has only one Sainik School in Kapurthala, and the state is now seeking the establishment of two more Sainik Schools. Badal said other states like Haryana, Bihar, and Maharashtra have two Sainik Schools each while Uttar Pradesh has three.

The defence minister assured him of adequate action, stating that he personally appreciates the role played by Sikhs and Punjabis in the national security and the defence of India's social and cultural values, a state government statement said.

Thanking the defence minister, Badal also presented a letter by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, saying the state government has allocated 40 acres at Dalla Gorian in Gurdaspur for a Sainik School. However, Punjab desires another Sainik School that can be established in Bathinda. This way, each of the three regions in Punjab--Doaba, Majha, and Malwa--will host one Sainik school, he said.

Badal also requested the approval of the Ministry of Defence for a modern bus terminal at Bathinda. Since the proposed location is adjacent to the Bathinda military cantonment, it requires a formal no-objection certificate from the Defence Ministry. The Punjab finance minister added that all required norms had been adhered to and a clear passage of 100 metres has been left from the military boundary. Similarly, the proposed bus terminus is well below the officially prescribed height for adjacent buildings, Badal said. The required papers for the NOC have been submitted to the defence headquarters and an early approval will help expedite the project, he told the minister.

The Punjab minister also invited the defence minister to the Punjab War Heroes Memorial and Museum at Amritsar, which the Punjab government has established at Rs 144 crore.

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