New Delhi, September 29: Punjab Governor and Administrator of U.T. Chandigarh Gulab Chand Kataria held a series of meetings with President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan and several Union Ministers here on Monday, discussing key development and welfare issues concerning Punjab and Chandigarh.
Kataria paid a courtesy call on President Droupadi Murmu and invited her to attend the Vijay Diwas function to be organised at the Afsawala War Memorial in Fazilka district in December.
Earlier, Kataria met Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan and discussed initiatives aimed at strengthening Panjab University, including the goal of making it the country’s number one university and developing an AI Centre, in line with the commitment made by the Vice President during his recent visit to the university.
During his meeting with Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, Kataria discussed measures to make Chandigarh drug-free. He sought support for the rehabilitation of people affected by drug abuse, along with skill training after rehabilitation and suitable employment opportunities to enable them to rebuild their lives.
With Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, Kataria sought 36 additional postgraduate seats for the medical college. He also requested ₹2,000 crore in support for the Chandigarh Regional Medical Hub project, proposed as a fully government-funded initiative.
Kataria also met Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi and requested that Punjab Engineering College be granted the status of a fully Centrally Funded Technical Institution (CFTI), on the lines of Bengal College of Engineering Shibpur in West Bengal. He further sought the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor for Punjab Engineering College, which currently has deemed university status, in accordance with UGC Regulations, 2018.
During his meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister Chandrakant Raghunath Patil, Kataria raised the issue of extensive damage caused by Ravi River floods in the border districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Pathankot. He sought a long-term strategy to prevent recurring floods and find a permanent solution to the problem.
Kataria also thanked Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for approving ₹93 crore for Ajj Sarovar in Kharar and around ₹19 crore for setting up a Digital Museum at the Le Corbusier Centre in Sector 19, Chandigarh.
