Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that the discriminatory policies of the successive Congress governments in the state were responsible for creating regional imbalances in Punjab, as the Border and Kandi areas of the state have lagged far behind than the other areas in the terms of overall development and prosperity.Talking to the media persons on the third day of his Sangat Darshan program during the thanks giving tour of the Dasuya assembly segment, the Chief Minister said that due to their vested interests the Congress leadership has totally neglected border and kandi areas during their long regime. He further said that hardly any initiative was taken by the Congress leaders to set up industrial units in these areas which could have played the pivotal role in developing these areas besides generating employment opportunities for youth. Badal said that it was a stark reality that most of the Congress Chief Ministers have spent their tenure of office in maritime activities rather than serving the people. He categorically said that none of the Congress Chief Minister have ever bothered to visit these areas due to which they were unaware about the woes faced by people due the lack of basic civic amenities.On the other hand he said that the SAD-BJP government has laid special thrust to develop these areas of the state so that people residing in it could reap the benefits of the development. He said that realizing well that the education was the most important aspect for developing these backward regions the Punjab Government had already laid special emphasis to impart quality education to the students in the far flung areas of Border and Kandi regions. Badal said that for the first time in the history of state the SAD-BJP government has constituted a separate cadre of teachers for both the regions so that they could contribute in the providing quality education to students.Likewise the Chief Minister said that major thrust was also been laid for providing the basic civic amenities to the people of these areas for which a blueprint was being prepared. In the same manner he said that the state government was also focusing on developing the Kandi area of the state as the hub of food processing industry for which the necessary steps are being taken. “The farmers of this area can become trendsetters for the state by ensuring optimum utilization of their products like Mango, Amla and others herbs”, added Badal.Training guns against the successive Congress governments at the Centre, the Chief Minister said that the Congress had done grave injustice by fixing the quota of recruitment in the Army from the state, which has adversely affected the prospects of large number of youth desiring to join the armed forces. He said that the need of the hour was that this quota needs to be abolished so that more and more youth from the state could join the Armed forces.When asked about the power situation in the state the Chief Minister said that stupendous efforts have been made by the Punjab government to increase the generation of power by setting up three more power plants in the state. He said that these under construction power plants would start generating in coming years power which would enable them to meet the ever increasing power demand in the state. Reiterating the commitment of the SAD-BJP alliance government to make state power sufficient in coming years, the Chief Minister said that they were working untiringly to achieve this target. Realizing the power shortage in the state, Badal further said that the problem of power shortage has further accentuated due to scanty rainfall and non-melting of snow at the higher peaks of mountains. He said that for this none was to be blamed because these factors were within the supreme control of nature. Vowing to ensure the all round development of the state, the Chief Minister said that the Sangat Darshan program would continue across the state to resolve the grievances of the people. He also said that the SAD-BJP government was duty bound for serving the people besides development of the entire state and none of the area would be discriminated on any basis.The Chief Minister also said that he had directed the Director Health and Family Welfare of the state to immediately take corrective steps for checking the spread of Diarrhea in Dasuya and submit the report regarding it. Earlier addressing the gathering the Chief Minister said that in order to strengthen the Dhussi Dam on river Beas the state government has released Rs 46 crore to the irrigation department. Badal also said that the research centre to be set up by PAU and GADVASU for exploring the potential of Food Processing industry and a polytechnic in Dasuya would help in providing technical education to the youngsters of the area thus enabling them scale new heights in their life. During the Sangat Darshan program, the Chief Minister sanctioned grant of nearly Rs 5 crore for development of 74 villages. Badal also announced a relief of Rs 1.5 lakh to Mrs Geeta Rani whose husband had died due Diarrhea in Dasuya.Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Chief Parliamentary Secretary Des Raj Dhugga, MLA Mrs Sukhjeet Kaur, Former Minister Jathedar Sewa Singh Sekhwan, KJS Cheema and Gurkirat Kirpal Singh (both Special Principal Secretaries to the Chief Minister).