The Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal this morning defied his indifferent health to meet a delegation of the war widows and assure them that their demands with regard to allotment of land under the government policy or compensation in lieu thereof would be met. Assuring members of the delegation that he had the warmest and strongest feelings of compassion and care for them, the Chief Minister requested them to allow sometime for the formalities to be completed in this regard.It may be recalled that the families of martyrs have been demanding that they be allotted agriculture land as per the policy of the state government in this regard, or , if an appropriate chunk of land is not available, the concerned families might be given financial compensation in lieu thereof.
During his meeting with the delegation, the Chief Minister spoke telephonically to the state Financial Commissioner (Revenue) KBS Sidhu, who is away to Delhi for an official meeting, and asked him to give a thorough ,patient and sympathetic audience to the members of the martyrs' families to find an appropriate solution to the issue. Accordingly, Mr. Sidhu fixed a meeting with the delegation at 11.30 am on September 30 ( Friday). He has expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved at that meeting to the satisfaction of all concerned.The Chief Minister has already accepted the demand of martyrs families that wherever it was not possible to find an appropriate chunk of land for allotment to the affected families , they be given financial compensation for the same.
The quantum of compensation would be decided by a special committee set up by the government.During and after the meeting with affected families, the Chief Minister made, a most humble and earnest appeal to the members of the affected families to return to their homes , adding that he had already passed instructions for a most expeditious resolution of the issue. “As head of your larger family, I feel it my obligation to resolve the issue. I cannot rest or sleep peacefully while my children sit away from homes. I request you to heed the request of the head of the family."