Soar high and the world will be at your feet

Dr Sanjeev Tiwari, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) Officer serving as the Pathankot Divisional Forest Officer, has embarked on a novel idea to develop Pathankot as a tourist hub. He held a trail paragliding competition in the twin villages of Chamror and Chibber located on the lake of the picturesque Ranjit Sagar Dam. Six paragliders were invited from Bir Billing village, located in Kangra district, also known as a haven for the sport. Tiwari says that he has written to Deputy Commissioner Sanyam Aggarwal to get the area converted into a tourist spot where commercial paragliding activities can be carried out. This in turn will bring in revenue like it brings to Bir Billing village. “If you go to Bir and do not paraglide then it is like going to Agra and not visiting Taj Mahal. We are working on making the villages of Chamror and Chibber into world class paragliding spots. We already have four state-of-the-art huts on the lake where tented accommodation is available around the year. These will be an added attraction for potential paragliders. Soar high and the world will be at your feet. Feel like a bird in the air,” said Tiwari known for his no-nonsense approach to things. Recently he was in the news for freeing scores of acres of prime forest land from the clutches of politically powerful land sharks who had encroached upon these tracts of land. Experts say once the Punjab tourism department gives the green signal for commercial paragliding activities, the area is bound to attract tourists by the droves.

‘Disability is a matter of perception’

Pathankot Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sanyam Aggarwal delivered a passionate extempore just after he distributed special cards for disabled under a government of India initiative. People with disabilities who hold these cards will be given preferential treatment in government offices. So far, the administration has identified 14,888 such persons in the district out, of which 5,764 have already applied for the cards. As many as 2,196 have been handed over the document so far. “Disability is a matter of perception. My advice to you is to concentrate on things your disability does not prevent you from doing well and do not regret the things it interferes with. Human spirit is one of ability, perseverance and courage. However difficult it may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. Always see the person, not the wheelchair,” he told the gathering. In a speech drenched in emotion, Aggarwal said that disability was one of the most important issues in contemporary society because stigmatisation of people with handicaps contributes to the formation of biases and prejudices which put them into a disadvantageous position as compared to normal people. He recalled that recently he saw an old man on a wheelchair who told him, “Sir, this is not a wheelchair. This is a fully operational battle station.” Aggarwal added that work was on to prepare cards for all persons identified with disabilities in the district.

Pathankot readies for Corporation elections

Pathankot administration officials have started holding meetings pertaining to the forthcoming Municipal Corporation (MC) polls. The city had a municipal committee before the state government decided to upgrade it into a corporation in 2015. Senior BJP leader Anil Vasudeva, a former chairman of the Improvement Trust, was unanimously elected as the first ever Mayor. For five long years, the corporation was controlled by the BJP with a brute majority. Several villages located on the periphery of the district were brought into the ambit of the new corporation. Vasudeva, with all his political sagacity and experience, brought in several new projects. However, things have now changed on the political firmament. Post the farm bills, the BJP is on a weak wicket and is no longer sure that it may control the MC House. Vasudeva was elected the first citizen of the city when a BJP man, Ashwani Sharma, was the local MLA. Now, Amit Vij, a Congressman, is the sitting legislator. As it normally happens, corporations and committees are controlled by people who owe loyalty to the party which rules the state government in Chandigarh. A prime example is that of the Patiala MC which has 59 Congress councillors in a house of 60. Reason for this political imbalance is that the MC polls were held after the Congress came to power in the state. Before that when the SAD reigned supreme from 2007 till 2017, it was the Akali-BJP combine that ruled the roost with a massive majority. With the SAD having a negligible presence in Pathankot, both the Congress and the BJP have started the process of identifying candidates.

(Contributed by Ravi Dhaliwal)