Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that the steepest ever increase in price of diesel by Rs 5 per litre would completely shatter the state’s agrarian economy by way of putting an extra burden of Rs 1000 crore on the beleaguered peasantry. Addressing a well attended public gathering on the occasion of Gurgaddi diwas of Sri Guru Angad Dev Ji here today, the Chief Minister said that this hike would further aggravate the woes of the farming community of the state which was already reeling under the burden of heavy debt. He said that this stupendous hike in the Diesel price coupled with the non remunerative MSP would bring the distress peasantry of the state on the verge of economic disaster adding that such anti people policies of the Union government have exposed the real face of the Congress led UPA government. He said that due to the anti-farmers policies of the Union government the agriculture was no longer a profitable venture and the brave farmers of the state who had played a pivotal role in making the country self reliant in food production were now reeling under the debt of more then Rs 30000 crore.Coming down heavily on the Centre government, the Chief Minister said that the price hike was a clear attempt on the part of the UPA government to extend largeese to the big oil companies that too at the cost of the common man. Badal said that this move was a testimony to the fact contrary to its claim of being the votary of common man, the Congress has in reality shed crocodile tears on the issues pertaining to them and have always secured the interests of the big MNCs, much to the dismay of aam aadmi. He further said that apart from ruining the agriculture sector the current hike of diesel would further fuel the all round inflation of essential commodities thereby breaking the backbone of the common man.Lashing out at the UPA government for its apathetic attitude towards the state, the Chef Minister said that the Congress has always meted out a step motherly treatment to the state, a recent example of this gross discrimination was that the state had been denied drought relief package whereas the Union Minister and his team had promised about it during their visit at Chandigarh. Badal said that infact it was a conspiracy of the Union government to ruin the state by devastating the agriculture which was the backbone of its economy. Exhorting the people to wipe out the Congress party from the political map of the country, the Chief Minister said that the party which was meting out grave injustice with the state by meddling in its social, political, economic and even the religious affairs should be routed out in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He said that people could never forget the dubious role of Congress in attacking Sri Harmandir Sahib and killing many innocent Sikhs during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
Listing out the achievements of the SAD-BJP government of the state, the Chief Minister said that due to the concreted efforts of the state government Punjab which earlier ranked 13th in the country now leads it in the field of education. Likewise he said that Punjab today leads the nation in providing health care facilities to the people adding that the state’s performance on Health Infrastructure has been adjudged “excellent” by agency of Government of India. In the same manner Badal said that their government had been successful in maintaining communal harmony in the border state despite of the fact that many other parts of the country were facing this severe problem. Likewise the Chief Minister said that a special thrust has been laid on the development of the holy towns of the state for which work was going on war footing. Similarly he said that a plan of cleaning of rivers of the state at a cost of Rs 2332 crore has also been embarked by the state government. He also said that in order to ensure planned development of urban areas in a holistic manner our government has embarked an ambitious program to provide basic civic Amenities in 142 towns within next three years. The Chief Minister also said that the government had also laid special focus on erecting state-of-the-art memorials viz. Virasat-e-Khalsa at Sri Anandpur Sahib, War Memorials of Chota Ghallughara at Kahnuwan and Wadda Ghallughara at Kup Rohira along with at Fateh Burj at village Chapar Chiri in the memory of legendary warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, for perpetuating the rich cultural heritage for the coming generations. Likewise he said that the work on the construction of world class ‘Jang-e-Azaadi’ memorial for showcasing the rich role of Punjabis in national freedom svtruggle would also start soon. Badal said that to be built over 25 acre of land the ‘Jang-e-Azaadi’ memorial would come up at Kartarpur near Jalandhar at a cost of Rs 100 crore.On the occasion the Chief Minister was presented robe of honor (Siropa) and a shawl by the leaders of SAD led by former Minister Jathedar Ranjit Singh Brahmpura.Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Lok Sabha MP Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala, former Minister Jathedar Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, SGPC Member Jathedar Gurbachan Singh Karmuwala, SAD General Secretary Ramandeep Singh Bharowal and District President of SAD Alwinder Pal Singh Pakhoke.