Rs 1 cr a year for defence academy's NDA wing

Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has pledged a grant of Rs 1 crore per year for Sri Dashmesh Academy here that has recently opened a new wing dedicated to providing training for entry to the National Defence Academy (NDA).

Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has pledged a grant of Rs 1 crore per year for Sri Dashmesh Academy here that has recently opened a new wing dedicated to providing training for entry to the National Defence Academy (NDA).

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Presiding over a meeting of Sri Dashmesh Academy Trust here on Wednesday, the CM, who is also the trust's chairman, said the provision had been made to as part of the larger thrust on getting more and more aspirants from Punjab into the armed forces. Stressing the need for recruiting the best faculty at the academy, Badal said that would help establish the academy as a leading residential school of the country.

At the meeting, the trust also approved the budget estimates for 2013-2014, besides giving the nod to the creation of an endowment fund for repair and maintenance. The academy's director, Maj Gen (retd) JS Ghuman, apprised the CM that a sewage treatment plant (STP) would be set up too.

Among those present in the meeting were cabinet minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, who is also the and vice-chairman of the trust, Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, former MP Satwinder Kaur Dhaliwal, former IAS officer Amarjeet Singh Sidhu, member-secretary of the trust Air Marshal (retd) MM Singh and principal Colonel (retd) Amarjeet Singh.