Amritsar, August 17 Rich floral tributes were paid to martyr Madan Lal Dhingra during a state-level function organised to mark his death anniversary at Senior Secondary School, Mall road, here on Saturday. Housing and Urban Development Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sukh Sarkaria presided over the programme. Cabinet Minister Raj Kumar Verka, Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu, MLAs Inderbir Singh Bolaria, Tarsem Singh DC, Santokh Singh Bhalaipur, Sunil Dutti, Deputy Commissioner Shivdular Singh and others were present. Speaking on the occasion, Sarkaria said martyrs and their families were the real wealth of a country. He said youngsters should take inspiration from the lives of martyrs to excel in life. He said the Punjab government had waived off agricultural loans, benefitting around 5.62 lakh farmers. The minister also claimed that development works amounting to Rs 3,462 crore have been initiated in view of the 550 birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev. Sarkaria said 70 villages in the state, visited by the first Guru, have been issued special grants for development. Reiterating the government’s commitment to end drug abuse in the state, he said the de-addiction treatment of the addicts was taking time but the government would complete the task initiated by it. A play titled ‘Balidan’ was staged by a team of theatre artist Hardeep Gill. Children from various schools participated in activities, such as choreography and singing. The minister also honoured family members of martyrs.

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