Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today urges Punjabis worldwide to rise above petty interests and counter the forces indulging in defaming and denigrating the image of state by dubbing the Punjab as bankrupt and Punjabis as drug addicts.During a 90 minute power presentation in the people’s court at New Delhi today Mr Badal informed the opinion makers in the capital about the progress and development projects implemented by the Punjab government on this front as well as unmasking the conspiracy of vested interests who want to make political capital by slandering the State only to score brownie points in the media. Appealing the people to proud to be Punjabis and Sikhs, Deputy CM said that it was the Shiromani Akali Dal which had always struggled for the rights and interests of Punjabis and Sikhs either in India or abroad. He said Sikhs were being appreciated worldwide for their labourious nature and inducted as ministers in Canada government.
Lamenting on the smearing campaign launched by the opponents on social media as well as national channels, SAD president said that these elements were acting on the behest of forces inimical to the Punjab which was heralding into a new era of inclusive development in all sectors.He said the idea of presenting the right picture of Punjab arose in his mind after multi national companies desirous of investing in the State, started querying about the extent of drug addiction in Punjab when I visited Mumbai. “I then realized that repeated wrong perceptions created by some ill informed political leaders had been twisted by the media and Punjab was being projected as a State facing a serious crisis of drug addiction”, said Mr Badal.
Addressing the gathering Mr. Badal said that we should not let anyone to defame Punjab and Punjabis as in reality we were putting new milestones in the field of prosperity, growth, development and progress. Furnishing real facts about growth story of Punjab in different fields during his presentation Mr. Badal informed that during Congress regime from 2002 to 2007 the gross VAT collection was Rs. 19,960 crore, which witnessed a significant increase to Rs. 44,209 crore in SAD-BJP alliance rule from 2007-12 with further increase in the existing rule of alliance to Rs. 62,706 crore till date.Detailing about the state excise from 2002 to 2007 of Congress regime which was Rs. 7,314 crore recorded 10,900 crore in the first tenure of SAD-BJP alliance while in the existing term of alliance the figure has touched Rs. 16,448 crore till date. Mr. Badal said that state’s own revenue receipts were Rs. 36,808 crore in Congress regime which had touched Rs. 68,757 crore in alliance rule till 2012 and now it has reached to Rs. 99,741 crore.
Giving details of performance of states in own tax revenue, Mr. Badal said Punjab stands better than various states with 8.1 percent of GSDP while Karnatka remains top in the tally with 10.0 percent. He said Punjab has performed well in revenue deficit as of GSDP whereas in State Gross Domestic Product Punjab’s share in GDP 3.23 percent with Rs. 5,04,937 between 2002 and 2007 in congress regime while the figure has touched Rs. 13,51,348 crore as yet.Expressing satisfaction over reduction in state’s debt growth from 2009, Mr. Badal categorically said that Punjab was not a debt ridden state and it has reduced 1.8 percent in debt growth. He said that Punjab had also improved in Debt GSDP ratio from 47.1 percent in 2006-07 to 32 percent in 2013-14.
Mr Badal said "What we have promised has fulfilled. I announced to make Punjab a power surplus state which had been accomplished. Now Punjab will be the first state having 4/6 lane highways connecting all the major towns". He also informed that RBI had also declared Punjab as third best state in the country for Investment. He also said that Punjab has been rated numero uno (Number One) in respect of Governance Index which is primarily because of stupendous success of state’s governance reforms drive. He also divulged that in terms of overall development index, Punjab has been ranked no.2 behind Goa.He announced that all villages of state would get 4G connectivity by end of this year and Punjab would be first state in country to accomplish this feat. He said that with help of high speed internet services, people of Punjab would benefit from scores of government services sitting at home which would put an end to their making rounds of offices. Besides this, State had also focused on provisioning of all basic amenities in all 165 towns besides strengthening governance reforms in the form of e-district and constructed 2174 'e-sewa kendras' to provide online citizen centric services.
Comparing the congress regime with SAD rule Deputy CM said that congress had provided only 18,500 jobs during its regime but SAD-BJP government had provided 1,20 lakh jobs in last tenure and would provide 1,13 lakh jobs to the unemployed youth within this year.Disclosing more Mr. Badal said “No drug is produced in Punjab. In fact, synthetic drugs and narcotics are produced in Pakistan and Afghanistan and are being transited through Punjab". He also lambasted Congress for launching a nefarious campaign to malign Punjab and brand its entire youth as drug addicts. “This is being done even though it was the laxity during the ten years old Congress led UPA rule that narco-terrorism had reared its ugly head in the country”.
He informed that porous and riverine tracts alongside the Pak border and deficient manpower were negatively impacting Punjab and the nation. Giving details he said in 2012, a total of 10,220 FIRs were registered under NDPS Act in Punjab whereas this number was only 1903 in Maharashtra and a mere 55 in Goa. In 2013, Punjab Police registered 14,654 FIRs under NDPS Act whereas this number was 2714 in Maharashtra and 50 with respect of Goa. Mr Badal explained that not a single youth were tested positive during army recruitment drive held recently.He said that it is only the SAD government which has always celebrated the religious days of Sikhs with great enthusiasm and brought Punjab on the world tourism map with the inauguration of Virasat-E-Khalsa, War memorial at Chapparchiri and beautification of the area in front of Sri Darbar Sahib.
The Deputy CM further said that strenuous efforts have been made by the state government to preserve the rich cultural legacy of the state by building world class monuments at a cost of nearly Rs 1,000 crore to immortalize the memory of the great and unparalleled role played by our great heroes and martyrs in shaping the course of human history.Mr. Badal said these include the state-of-the-art Virasat-e-Khalsa memorial at Sri Anandpur Sahib, memorials of Vadda and Chhota Ghallughara, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur War memorial at Chappar Chiri, Bhagwan Valmiki (Bhagwan Valmik Tirath Sthal Amritsar) and Guru Ravidass (at Khuralgarh in Hoshiarpur).
He said that apart from these, memorials of Swami Vivekananda at Kapurthala, Baba Jiwan Singh (Bhai Jaita Ji) at Sri Anandpur Sahib, Baba Moti Ram Mehra at Fatehgarh Sahib and Bhai Mati Dass, Bhai Sati Dass and Bhai Dayala Ji at Sri Anandpur Sahib were also at various stages of planning and execution.On this occasion, President of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Mr. Manjit Singh G.K., General Secretary of DSGMC, Mr. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Rajya Sabha member S. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Former Chairman of National Commission for Minorities, Mr. Tarlochan Singh, Ex-President DSGMC, Mr. Onkar Singh Thapar besides Mr. Avtar Singh Hit were also present.