Terming that in the ensuing poll season many ‘seasonal birds’ would visit the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that it would hardly have any effect as the SAD-BJP alliance was all set to register third consecutive win and form the government again in 2017. Interacting with the media persons after inaugurating the newly constructed Municipal Bhawan in sector 35 here today, the Chief Minister, while reiterating that in democracy every leader was free to visit any state, said that he welcomes Delhi Chief Minister Mr. Arvind Kejriwal on his upcoming visit to the state. However, Mr. Badal said that it would hardly have any effect on state’s polity as SAD-BJP alliance was serving the people with utmost dedication and commitment. “They will come and go back but due to its pro-people and development oriented policies, the SAD-BJP alliance will again form government in 2017” he added.
The Chief Minister said that during almost nine years of the SAD-BJP rule the state has witnessed unprecedented development in all the sectors. He said that due to the concerted efforts of the alliance government Punjab has today emerged a frontrunner state in the country. Mr. Badal said that the alliance would again seek the mandate of people solely on the plank of communal harmony, peace and development.Replying to another query, the Chief Minister advocated the need of having a national debate on the ongoing agrarian crisis in the country. He said that problems of the food growers of the country need to be given immediate attention, so as to bail them out from the crisis. Mr. Badal said that due to low income and high agricultural inputs coupled with decrease in land holdings agriculture was no longer a remunerative profession, so efforts must be made to make this profession financially viable and economically sustainable.
The Chief Minister also said that in a major step aimed at providing world class civic amenities to residents of the cities across the state, the Punjab government has embarked a major scheme providing the facility of water supply, sewerage, Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs), Streetlights, Roads and parks in all towns at a cost of Rs 6500 crore. He said that a major thrust would be given to the development of all these towns by ensuring world class civic amenities in them adding that the focus would be to refurbish the cities with the state-of-the art facilities so that the residents could be benefitted from it on one hand and giving impetus to the overall development of the state on the other.The Chief Minister said that the inauguration of Municipal Bhawan, would facilitate the people from across the state to get their works done under a single roof. Mr. Badal said that this building which houses the offices of senior functionaries of Local Government Department would enhance the efficiency of the department to serve the people. On the occasion congratulating the Local Government Minister Mr. Anil Joshi, he said that people would be immensely benefitted with the inauguration of this Bhawan as they would be able to get their works done in a prompt and hassle free manner.
Pertinently, this Bhawan constructed in Sector 35 at a cost of Rs. 38 crore would house all the offices of Minister, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Secretary, Director, branches of Directorate, PMIDC and Officers and Officials of Town Planning.The Chief Minister was accompanied by Cabinet Ministers Mr. Anil Joshi and Mr. Surjit Kumar Jiyani, Deputy Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha Mr. Dinesh Singh Babbu, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mr. KD Bhandari and Mr. Som Parkash, state BJP Chief Mr. Kamal Sharma, Advisor to Chief Minister Mr. Tikshan Sud, Secretary Local Government Mr. Vikas Pratap, Director Local Government Mr. Priyank Bharti, Joint Managing Director PMIDC Mr. J Balamurugan besides Mayors of Municipal Corporations and officers of Local Government department.