NAWANSHEHAR: Rich tributes were paid to the martyrs of the Babbar Akali Movement during the freedom struggle- Babbar Karam Singh Daulatpur and his associates Bishan Singh Mangat, Udai Singh Ramgarh Zhuggian and Mohinder Singh Pandori Ganga Singh on the occasion of their 84 death anniversary here Saturday.

These Babbars were killed by the British police on this day in 1923 at Babeli village in Kapurthala district following an act of treachery by one of their associates Anup Singh and his uncle Bogh Singh. CM Parkash Singh Badal, accompanied by Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha, Charanjit Singh Atwal, Balachaur MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Chaudhary Nand Lal, SGPC secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, SAD general secretary Prem singh Chandumajra, former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, BJP state vice president Varinder Kaur Thandi and a host of other SAD-BJP leaders paid floral tributes at the memorial of the martyrs and laid the foundation stone of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Complex to be constructed at a cost of Rs 65 lakh in the Public school being run by the Babbar Karam Singh Yadgari Trust in the village.

Later addressing an impressive gathering at the "shardhanjli samaroh", Badal stressed upon the need to use such occasions to introspect whether the dreams for which the martyrs like Bhagat Singh and the Babbars had laid down   their lives had been realised or not. He thanked the people of Doaba for two reasons- for giving birth to great martyrs and for helping SAD-BJP alliance to come to power in the state.

Talking of steps to improve the education scenario in the state, Badal said that while 17,000 teachers would be recruited within one month, one Adarsh school and three other senior secondary schools in the rural areas in each assembly segment would be upgraded and equipped with all the requisite infrastructure to provide quality but free education to talented children of the poor in all the streams. He talked of bringing in a revolution in the field of education in the state in the next five years. "Agle panj saalan vich iss kheter vich Punjab vich inqilab leianda javega," said the CM who further assured to improve the services in the health sector in the state.

He added that a roadmap was being drawn to end unemployment in the state. Badal on the occasion announced Rs 10 lakh for the Babbar Karam Singh Yadgari Trust which had organized the function. Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal too chipped in and announced another Rs 3 lakh from his side. Earlier, the CM inaugurated a tree-plantation project under Narega scheme. He also released a book "Babbar Akali Gatha" on the occasion. He further assured of an early release of government share in the ongoing NRI projects in the village.

Earlier, talking to media persons, Badal held the previous Capt Amrinder Singh government responsible for the toll plazas that have led to considerable resentment among various sections of the society. While maintaining that in future no roads would be built under the BOT system in Punjab, he expressed his helplessness in withdrawing the existing toll plazas because of the legal implications involved in the matter. The much-hyped New Police Act would soon be implemented in Punjab, he said. On the slow pace of industry in the state, he said the state government was ready to provide the facilities and the requisite incentives to the industrialists; it was for them to come forward and invest in the sector.