State to provide burial space to minorities

Chandigarh : Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced that the government would provide land for burial grounds to the Christian and Muslim communities in all towns and villages in the state. Presiding over a state-level function before Christmas, Badal said the government would provide land for burial grounds to both communities either from panchayat land or, in the case of unavailability, even purchase land for this social cause. The Chief Minister asked Chairman of the Punjab State Minorities Commission Munawar Masih, who earlier presented a memorandum of demands on behalf of the Christian community to him, to provide a list of such towns and villages to the state government where there were no cemeteries to enable the government to take prompt action in this regard. The Chief Minister also announced to allot a suitable site of 4 kanals for the construction of a church and a community hall at Mohali and directed the Chief Administrator, GMADA, to initiate the requisite formalities for the allotment of the plot to the Christian community. Felicitating Punjabis on the auspicious occasion, Badal said the gospel of peace, love, amity and compassion preached by Jesus Christ was as relevant today as was in his time. The Chief Minister said the SAD-BJP government was committed to the welfare of the downtrodden and oppressed sections of society and many initiatives had been taken by it in this regard. The setting up of the Punjab State Minorities Commission was also a step in this direction to safeguard the rights of the minority communities. Among the speakers were Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langah, Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Bishop of the Jalandhar Church Anil Kuto, Father Prema Nand, member of the Minority Commission Abdul Shakur Mangat, Father Thomas and Pastor SS Sadiq from Ambala.