Khaira seeks govt help for release of Punjabi migrants jailed in Spain

Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Friday said there were 37 illegal immigrants from Punjab languishing in the jails of Spain.

Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Friday said there were 37 illegal immigrants from Punjab languishing in the jails of Spain. Taking up the issue during the Zero Hour in the Assembly today,Khaira said at least nine of these people were from his constituency and sought the help of the state government to ensure their release.

In his reply,Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal assured the Punjab Vidhan Sabha that he,along with the Chief Minister,will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demand the release of Punjabis in jails of Spain. Sukhbir said the problem of people using illegal routes to go abroad was a cause of concern and he would urge the Prime Minister to intervene so that all Indian embassies are issued instructions to identify immigrants jailed abroad and provide them legal help. Badal also sought the details of the 37 people from the Congress MLA.

Brahm Mohindra of the Congress informed the House that nearly 512 employees of a cooperative sugar mill in his constituency have not been paid salaries for the last 23 months. Anil Joshi of the BJP sought a ban on liquor sold in recycled plastic bottles,claiming they can lead to cancer.

Local Bodies Minster Manoranjan Kalia,in reply to a query during the Question Hour,said the government has sanctioned works worth over Rs 173 crore in the Patiala constitiuency,during the last three years of the alliance rule,against just over Rs 75 crore spent in five years under Capt Amarinder Singhs rule. Madal Lal Thekedar sought details of the grants given to municipal corporations by the government. Kalia informed the House that during the Sangat Darshan programme of the chief minister last year in Patiala,where he covered all the 50 wards,grants of Rs 45 crore were released. They were sanctioned from various sources,including the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board, the minister said.

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