Wednesday, January 5, 2011

BJP for bifurcation of Ferozepur, Gurdaspur districts

Chandigarh, Jan 5 (PTI) Ruling SAD ally BJP today advocated bifurcation of Ferozepur and Gurdaspur districts to ensure better administration and said Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had given a "positive response".

Addressing a joint press conference, senior BJP leader and Local Bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia and party''s state unit chief Ashwani Sharma said that Ferozepur and Gurdaspur were big districts and common people often have to travel long distances to get their works done at district headquarters.

"For example to travel to Ferozepur district headquarters from Abohar in that district, people have to travel about 120 km. Likewise there are many places in Gurdaspur from where people have to travel distances to reach the district headquarters," Sharma said.

Asked which places could be declared as the new districts, the two leaders said either Abohar or Fazilka in Ferozepur can be named as the new district while Pathankot in Gurdaspur granted a similar status.

Kalia also informed that he along with Sharma met Badal at his residence here this evening and he has given a "positive response" to the demand of carving out separate districts and offered to take up the issue sympathetically.

To a question, Sharma and Kalia said they supported the demand of a Sangarsh Samiti, which is spearheading cause for a separate district in Fazilka.

Kalia, however, felt that former state minister Surjit Singh, who has started his fast unto death supporting demand of a separate district, should withdraw from the fast.

He also said that this demand raised by them should not be linked with the 2012 Punjab Assembly polls.

Giving the example of Fatehgarh Sahib, Kalia said, "contrary to what some might think that having separate districts would further burden the economy, they will in fact, help in efficient governance and raise people''s faith in administration, which can become more responsive".

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