When AAP forgot its state leadership

Chandigarh: Last week, just before AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal was about to leave for Dharamsala for a meditation retreat, the party decided to hold an urgent meeting of the Political Affairs Committee in New Delhi to finalise the first list of candidates for the Punjab Assembly elections. All members were sent invites for the meeting, except party MP Sadhu Singh. “Who is representing Punjab?” someone asked, detecting the slip-up. At the eleventh hour, Sadhu Singh was asked to leave for Delhi immediately. “It shows how much ‘importance’ the AAP top brass gives to the Punjab party leadership,” an insider said.

Paid by exchequer? Send kids to govt schools

Sangrur: A local NGO, Scientific Awareness and Social Welfare Forum, has launched a drive aimed at making it mandatory for government employees and others who get paid by the state exchequer to send their children to government primary schools. The NGO has asked panchayats, social and religious organisations, and political parties to pass resolutions and send the same to the Punjab Government for implementing this provision, in keeping with an order of the Allahabad High Court. NGO president Dr AS Mann said they would start a campaign to collect one lakh signatures to be sent to the Governor.

Cycles for girls, no air for tyres

Muktsar: Under the state government’s Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme, Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani on Thursday distributed bicycles among about 200 girl students here. However, the authorities concerned forgot to inflate the tyres. When the ceremony concluded, the girls were seen pushing their bicycles out of the school. Some of them even hired rickshaws to go back home. Seeing this, an aged man quipped, “Waah ni Punjab sarkare, tere rang nyaare.”

Govt brings nukkad nataks into play

Muktsar: Even as the state government’s publicity vans are screening ‘Char Sahibzade’ in villages, nukkad nataks are being staged in the rural areas to highlight the government schemes for various sections of society. Teams of professionals have been hired to stage a 20-minute play, ‘Eh Mera Punjab Beliyo’. It focuses on the Atta-Dal scheme, Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojana, tubewell connections and free electricity to farmers, the opening of meritorious schools and free bicycles under the Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme. ‘Dhadis’ have been hired to sing praises of the state’s history and the Sikh religion.

Officers take ADC route to Chandigarh

Muktsar: The post of Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC, General), Muktsar, is proving to be lucky for officers keen to go to Chandigarh on deputation. Last year, Capt Karnail Singh, the then ADC (G), was sent to the union territory. This year, the name of his successor, Kuljeet Pal Singh Mahi, has been cleared for deputation, and that too after serving less than a year here. It seems Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s home district is showing officers the way to the City Beautiful.

His park offers a slice of history

Bathinda: Two years ago, Manjit Gill (40), an artist from Ghall Kalan village in Moga district, quit the post of an art executive in the state Cultural Affairs Department to pursue his passion — making statues of India’s great personalities. He has installed more than 40 of them on his farmhouse, named Mahan Desh Bhagat Park. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and several Punjabi singers are among those who have paid a visit to his park. His creations include an 18-ft-tall statue of Milkha Singh and life-size figures of Dr APJ Kalam, Neerja Bhanot, Bhagat Puran Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai. He is now giving finishing touches to a statue of The Tribune founder, Dyal Singh Majithia.

Dash of Bollywood to Capt campaign

Jalandhar: In a bid to spice up its election campaign, Congress supporters have added Bollywood ‘tadka’ by modifying a clip from the Sanjay Dutt-Madhuri Dixit starrer, ‘Saajan’. In the clip being circulated on Whatsapp and Facebook, Madhuri tells Sanjay, “Chahunda hai Punjab Captain di sarkar”, quoting the slogan coined by party’s poll strategist Prashant Kishor.

Contributed by Vishav Bharti, Sushil Goyal, Archit Watts, Gurdeep Mann and Deepkamal Kaur