Badal directive to officials

KHANNA, Jan 7: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal seems to have decided to strengthen his contacts with the public and give a new look to the party as he has directed all district-level officers to visit their areas twice a week to hear the grievances of the people and settle the genuine cases on the spot.

Addressing a gathering at Gurdwara Kalgidhar Sahib at Payal yesterday, Badal declared that the government has launched a scheme in Amritsar and Bathinda districts as an experiment to solve the problem of unemployment by giving loans.

Badal also announced a grant of Rs 25 lakh for Payal Municipal Council, Rs 2 lakh for Balmiki dharamshala and a reward of Rs 25,000 for Asiad bronze medalist Jagjit Singh Jallah.