Chandigarh
19 August 2023
DIVYA AZAD
Presenting his report card on completion of one year as member of Rajya Sabha – the upper house of the Parliament, Sh. Vikramjit Singh Sahney said that the major focus has been on Skilling and Jobs for the youth of Punjab.
“During this year we have provided 2,000 jobs after skilling the youth from our Skill Development Centres. I am also setting up 10 more World Class Skill Centres of Excellence to create 10,000 jobs every year, out of which the work of a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence at Ludhiana is near complete and will begin training next month,” informed Sh. Sahney.
Sh. Sahney also played a key role in acting as a bridge between the Government of Punjab and the Centre as he organised an interactive meeting of all MPs of Punjab cutting across party lines to create consensus for resolving issues such as Pending Rural Development Fund, Stubble Burning incentive fund and Debt restricting of Punjab.
In addition to this Sh. Sahney also launched ‘Sikhya Langar Movement’ to establish Skill Centres in various Gurudwaras of Punjab and first one will come up at Gurudwara Nanaksar, Ludhiana. “This movement will go a long way in making unemployed and hapless youths to become an earning hand for the family, and a resource for the state,” said Sh. Sahney who added that he sees a huge scope for the reason that the centres of religious and spirituality could also play a role in social and economic upliftment of the masses.
Sh. Sahney who has not been availing any benefit entitled to the Members of the Rajya Sabha, has donated his salary to a fund called Shahid Bhagat Singh Scholarship fund established by him under which he has sponsored education of several doctors, pilots, sportspersons etc.
Apart from the salary entitlement Mr. Sahney has not availed any government perks such as in traveling and darkness allowances, free flights, govt vehicles etc.
“One of the biggest achievements during my first year is the anti-human trafficking campaign ‘Mission Hope’ which we are running to safeguard the women and youth of Punjab”, he said, adding that through his efforts and resources he was able to rescue more than 50 Punjabi women from Oman, 17 boys from Turkey and 17 boys from Libya have been rescued from the Mafia are under custody of the Indian Mission in Tunisia, they will be coming back home next week.
These efforts, and strong will of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the first time and took strict and swift action against the unscrupulous agents operating in the state. Sh. Sahney was also successful in putting a stop on deportation of 700 Punjabi students from Canada.
The Rajya Sabha member informed that to bring investment in Punjab he reached out and persuaded leading Industrialists in the past one year. It includes M.A. Yusuff Ali Chairman Lulu Group a middle eastern giant; Sh. Prakash Hinduja President Hinduja Group, Europe; Sh. PD Singh CEO JP Morgan; and the officials of HUL, Cargill etc.
In addition to this Sh. Sahney also met many Industry stalwarts of UK on his recent visit to London where he chaired various meetings discussing issues pertaining to Punjab and requesting investment in the state. He has also organised various meetings of leading Industrial groups like CII, PHD Chamber, CICU, FICU with the Chief Minister of Punjab.
Talking about various issue he has raised and achieved results in the Parliament during all the four sessions happened in the year includes No Centralisation of Punjab University; Abolition of GST on Serais; Inclusion of Punjabi sport Gatka into national games and Restoring of the work at Halwara, Airport Ludhiana. The MP has also disbursed 100% allocation of his MPLAD fund and ensured its utilisation in the field of Education, Livelihoods and Heath.
Sh. Sahney said: “I am a son of Punjab and committed to do all the efforts possible for the development of the state. I think I am accountable to the people of the state so I have decided to present my report card every year so as to inform the people what their representative in the upper house of parliament has been doing for them and the state”.
Not only the social and governmental issues, Sh. Sahney reached out to the people of Punjab at the time of natural calamity. During the recent floods in Punjab he contributed towards the flood relief work by providing Food Kits, first aid medicines, Giant Waterproof Tents, Safety equipments, fodder for livestock and donating 50 lakhs for construction of a Bandhs at badly affected village Burj in Anandpur Sahib Tehsil.
