SAD gears up for Assembly polls

SAD gears up for Assembly polls
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal interviewing an elected representative in Bathinda on Wednesday. Also seen in the picture to his right is his wife and MP from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Bathinda, September 2
With an eye on the next Vidhan Sabha elections, Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (B), today launched a district-wise drive of one-to-one contact with all SAD elected representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies, to give them new responsibilities in the party.
Launching it from Bathinda, Sukhbir Badal, along with a number of party bigwigs, interviewed all the elected representatives of Bathinda and Mansa districts category wise at a local banquet hall.
The motive behind the whole exercise is said to be the organisational strengthening of Istri Akali Dal, Akali Dal (Scheduled Caste wing) and Youth Akali Dal.
Leaders of the party had a closed door meeting with workers and noted their suggestions to expand the party base. Further, they were asked to fill up a form, giving their personal details and the margin of their victory. Further, they had to give feedback regarding the problems being faced by the common man in the state.
It has also been informed that the crux of the effort would be discussed at a strategy meet of the party, slated to take place at Shimla from September 10.
Though mediapersons were not allowed inside the meeting room, sources in SAD (B) informed that Sukhbir and his MP wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal were among those who interviewed party workers and leaders. Both exhorted party workers members to evolve a two-way communication channel with the masses and make people aware regarding the efforts of the SAD-BJP government being made for their welfare.
After a dialogue with party workers, Harsimrat emphasised that it was imperative for each party worker to be the eye and ear of the party president and give an objective feedback to the party headquarters.
Informing about the motive of the drive, Sukhbir said various wings of SAD (B) were being strengthened at the grassroot level by picking new talent for giving them additional responsibilities of party affairs. Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, MP Faridkot and president, Istri Akali Dal, Gulzar Singh Ranike, cabinet minister, Jagdeep Singh Nakai, chief parliamentary secretary, Daljit Singh Cheema, CM’s advisor and secretary of the SAD (B), Balwinder Singh Bhunder, general secretary of the party, Bikram Singh Majithia, MLA and patron of the Youth Akali Dal and Kiranbir Singh Kang, president of the Youth Akali Dal, were prominent among those who were present.
Setting an example for others, Sukhbir, just after arriving at the meeting venue, directed the authorities concerned to remove all welcome hoardings installed by party workers outside the banquet hall. Within a few minutes, all flex hoardings were removed.
In a recent order passed to officials of the local bodies, Sukhbir had said such hoardings were not only hazardous for traffic as they distracted the attention of the commuters but were also a public nuisance.

SSP told to enquire into Orbit advt Taking exception to an advertisement regarding job opportunities in Orbit Private Company Ltd published in a Punjabi daily on September 1, the owner of the company, deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, asked the district police chief to inquire the matter and expose the guilty, who mischievously gave the advertisement. The SSP further marked the inquiry to a sub-inspector rank official. As per the advertisement, people have been invited to get a job in Orbit and earn Rs 11,000-20,000 per month, even working from home. A phone number given in the advertisement remained switched off today. — TNS