One of the leading lawyers of the region, Harish Rai Dhanda held the post of President, District Bar Association, Ludhiana for 7 terms. He was Chairman, Bar council of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh from which he resigned to contest assembly elections. At present he heads legal cell of the Shiromani Akali Dal. Harish Rai Dhanda is a 4th generation scion of an illustrious family of lawyers belonging to Ludhiana. He is great grandson of S. Gurbachan Singh Sandhawalia who was appointed as PM of Punjab By Maharaja Daleep Singh and great grandson of S. Dhanraj Singh Gurone of Ladhran village who was a freedom fighter of the Jaiton Morcha Fame. S. Raghubir Singh Grewal, fromer General Secretary SGPC was his maternal Uncle. He is also related to Principal Niranjan Singh, brother of Master Tara Singh
Dhanda was the chairman of the Assembly committee constituted to probe the allegations against Capt.Amarinder Singh regarding the alleged land scandal of Amritsar Improvement Trust.His report was the basis for the explusion of Amrinder Singh from Punjab Assembly which was set aside by the Supreme court of India.
Agenda of Harish Dhanda -in his own words
General
•To make sincere efforts to overcome the problem of traffic congestion with the help of more flyovers, sub ways, railway over bridges, parking slots, traffic regulatory mechanisms etc.
•To see to it that the residents and industry get uninterrupted supply of power at affordable rates.
•To see to it that the gate linking Punjab Agricultural University and Kitchlu Nagar gets reopened for better access.
•To work for a “Jhughi – Jhaunpary free Ludhiana” by providing pucca dwelling units with adequate civic amenities to Jhughi – Jhaunpary dwellers.
•To see to it that citizens get uncontaminated, germ/bacteria free and safe drinking water.
•To impress upon Government to start local bus service on the lines of the one existing in other metropolitan cities.
•To make sincere efforts for regularization of unauthorised colonies and availability of civic amenities.
•To ensure proper management and disposal of dirty/waste water.
•To work for establishing garbage dumping spots away from residential colonies.
•To ensure that a special cell exists and becomes functional at Mini Secretariat Ludhiana for guidance and assistance of the public for completion of necessary formalities as are needed for obtaining benefit from the various government schemes and measures.
•To work relentlessly for providing better health care facilities particularly to the needy and elderly citizen.
•To see to it that Human Rights do not get violated with impunity by vested interests whosoever they are.
•To work for solution of problems of the Retirees and Pensioners
•To work for solution of problems of Ex Service men
•To work for promotion of Art and Cultural activities in the constituency.
•To ensure more avenues for education and employment of differently-abled children/adults.
•To use the vast resources of the state for generating awareness against drugs and intoxicants, among youth.
Women
•To ensure respect for women in the corridors of administration.
•To establish crisis centers, day care centers, study and discussion groups for women under their management and control.
•To see to it that instances of sexual harassment at work place are severely dealt with.
•To impress upon Government to establish ‘all-women police station’ in the constituency
Education
•To impress upon the Government for the formation of “Education Regulatory Authority” with adequate representation to Teachers’ Associations/Unions for taking up policy decisions regarding education and for overseeing their implementation etc.
•To work for streamlining admission process and procedure in Public Schools without interview of tiny-tots or of their parents.
•To ensure timely availability of text-books published by government at cheaper rates.
•To make arrangements for low cost coaching to poor students to perform better in entrance tests.
•To make sincere efforts to impart strength to “95% deficit grant in aid scheme” to the school and colleges not under the direct control of the Government.
•To impress upon the Government to provide adequate Social Security preferably in the form of Retirement Pension to the employees of Non Government School and Colleges
•To endeavour for making Education affordable and within reach of all sections of Society.
•To work for increasing the number of available seats in Government Colleges of Ludhiana.
•To see to it that Staff of Privately Managed Unaided Schools and Colleges enjoys reasonable Service Security and is adequately paid.
•To make sincere efforts for financial aid to all the Privately Managed Schools and Colleges.
•To see to it that professionals, teachers and elderly are treated with respect in the corridors of administration.
Trade & Industry
•To ensure abolition of requirement of maintenance of VAT Stock Register
•To ensure abolition of clause of cancellation of license of traders for petty offences.
•To ensure non-confiscation of Stock Register of Traders just for tax related small irregularities and technicalities.
•To ensure minimum paper work regarding VAT and simplification of procedure in consultation with association of traders.
•To work for abolition of monthly VAT Return.
•To ensure release of Capital subsidy to the Industry.
•To impress upon the Government for stopping the practice of cash check, instead stock check should be the determinant for various matters.
•To impress upon the Government to give special incentives to export/import oriented trade and industry.
•To ensure uninterrupted supply of power to industry.
•To ensure that Solid Waste Treatment Plants get installed and become functional.
•To ensure better roads, transportation and communication facilities for Trade and Industry.
•To work for solution of problems of small entrepreneurs and businessmen To work for better industry- labour relations etc.
•To see to it that small trader is not unduly harassed at the hands of unscrupulous officials.
•To make efforts to rejuvenate the famous Ludhiana industry particularly of cycle parts, sewing machine parts, hosiery, nut-bolts and small tools.
Employees
•To ensure implementation of 4-9-14 year promotional scheme as is done in the case of officers.
•To impress upon the Government to raise the fixed medical allowance to Rs. 1000/- per month in view of the steep rise in cost of medicines and tests etc.
•To ensure need based grant to P.A.U. in place of block grant in order to facilitate research, education and extension activities.
•To ensure that the decisions taken by Board of Management of P.A.U. get implemented in toto without interference from local audit.
•To sincerely work for withdrawal of Pension commutation notification with retrospective effect.
•To ensure that the terms of reference of the new pay commission are settled through a process of negotiations with trade union leaders.
•To ensure that the false cases against employees of D.M.C. get withdrawn.
•To see to it that a ‘Grievances Cell’ for speedy redressal of grievances of employees is formed and becomes functional.
•To ensure Pensionary benefits to employees of Privately Managed Schools and Colleges.
•To impress upon the Government to release interim relief @ of 5% of basic pay subject to a minimum of Rs.100/- per month.
•To impress upon the government to spare the employees of education and health sector for works like census, surveys etc.
•To impress upon the Government to speedily fill up vacant posts in various sectors.
Lawyers
•To impress upon the Government, to give assistance, in the form of stipend/interest free loan to the beginners in the profession.
•To impress upon the Government to grant the powers of Notary certification/attestation to all lawyers having 10 years of practice to their credit.
•To impress upon the Government to make attestation, of various deeds and agreements, by an advocate mandatory.
•To ensure land for developing a colony exclusively for Ludhiana based lawyers.
•To ensure chamber for every practicing lawyer.
•To impress upon the Government that various tribunals/Commissions are headed by members of legal fraternity
•To seek involvement of lawyers of District Courts in evaluation of judges of High Court.
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