40 acres of wheat crop being ploughed for Mann's oath
Darpan News Desk IANS, 14 Mar, 2022 12:38 PM
Chandigarh, March 14 (IANS) At least 40 acres of wheat crop is being ploughed for swearing-in ceremony of AAP's Chief Minister-designate Bhagwant Mann, who sports a yellow turban for his reverence to legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh to whom he calls his 'only idol, only mentor and only hero', to be held in the icon's ancestral maternal village in Khatkar Kalan on March 16, it is learnt on Monday.
The debt-ridden state government has sanctioned Rs 2.61 crore for the swearing-in ceremony.
Officials told IANS the wheat fields will be used for the parking of vehicles of the visitors coming to attend the ceremony that will last less than an hour.
The farmers have been told to plough the standing crop, which is yet to mature, and in lieu they will be paid a compensation of around Rs 46,000 per acre.
Officials did not rule out converting more fields into parking lots if there is indication of a rise in number.
Additional Chief Secretary A. Venu Prasad on Monday took stock of preparedness of the swearing-in ceremony at Khatkar Kalan.
Congress leader Alka Lamba took to Twitter to expose the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). She shared the Punjab government order that says the Revenue and Rehabilitation Department has been asked to allocate Rs 2.61 crore to the Deputy Commissioner of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar for making arrangements for the mega ceremony.
The oath taking ceremony is expected to see a gathering of around 1 lakh people.
In an appeal, Mann requested people to reach Khatkar Kalan on March 16 for the swearing-in ceremony. "I request my brothers to wear 'basanti' (yellow) turbans that day and sisters to drape yellow shawls/stoles. We will colour Khatkar Kalan in 'basanti rang' that day," Mann said in a video message.
The AAP had swept the polls by winning 92 of the 117 seats.
On Thursday, senior BJP leaders including chief ministers of the party ruled states offered prayers at temples across the country for the well-being and long life of Prime Minister Modi after his security was breached in Punjab on January 5.
Most of these farmers had earlier stated that they were present at the spot but were not involved in the attack. They were, at that time, charged under bailable sections such as 'rioting' and 'voluntarily causing hurt' and were let off by the SIT officials under Section 41 of the CrPC.
The Congress is witnessing internal bickering on the issue of security breach of the Prime Minister and Congress MP from Punjab Manish Tewari has termed the incidence as most unfortunate and said the matter should be probed by a sitting High Court Judge.
Addressing a gathering in Tanda in Hoshiarpur district after laying the foundation stone of development work, the Chief Minister said there was no threat to the life of the Prime Minister but he cancelled his programme on Wednesday because of the thin presence of people at the BJP's rally.
High drama was witnessed on Thursday after 125 of 179 international passengers, who arrived at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport Rajasansi, near here, from Italy, in an Air India flight tested positive on arrival. The Covid passengers were asked to quarantine in local hospital as per the guidelines of the government.
On Wednesday, The Prime Minister's rally in Ferozepur had to be cancelled due to a security lapse after some protesters blocked a route and forced his convoy to spend about 20 minutes on a flyover. The Prime Minister was enroute the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala when the incident happened.
