Despite stiff opposition by the Congress leaders towards the Sangat Darshan programs in the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today gave a clarion call to the leaders of the opposition to attend the Sangat Darshans for the redressal of their grievances. Addressing the gathering during the Sangat Darshan program of the Lambi assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that before vehemently opposing the Sangat Darshans by terming it as a sheer wastage of money, the Congress leaders must realize that this money neither belonged to him nor to the Congress leaders. He said that it was a fact that the money belonged to the public and was being aptly utilized for their welfare. Mr. Badal said that the top most priority of the state government was to uplift the standard of living of people by providing them the best environment to live. Lashing out at the Congress party, the Chief Minister said that the people have drifted away from Congress party as its leaders have always opposed the pro-people policies adding that even today the Congress leaders have not leant any lesson from their mistakes.
Badal said that he had been holding the Sangat Darshan ever since the inception of his political career, without any discrimination adding that in these programs he listens to the problems of the people and try to solve them. The Chief Minister impressed upon the Congress leaders to sink their political differences and come in the Sangat Darshan programs for getting their pending matters resolved. Mr. Badal said that there was no Chief Minister in the entire country who conducts this democratic exercise to fulfill the needs of the people. “The Sangat Darshan helps us to evaluate the performance of the officers which further facilitates us to provide effective, accountable and transparent governance to the people and nobody including the Congress leaders could deter me from holding Sangat Darshans to ensure the well being of people” he added. Making a scathing attack on the Congress party, the Chief Minister said that the Congress party was the mother of all the social maladies like unemployment, corruption, illiteracy, starvation and others faced by the country. He said that the ‘panacea of all these ills’ was to wipe out the Congress from the country. Badal said that the state government has initiated a number of welfare schemes to benefit the weaker and disadvantaged sections of the society. Announcing to widen the ambit of the Atta-Dal scheme, the Chief Minister said that now the small and marginal farmers of the state would be included under it. He said that the number of beneficiaries of this scheme would be doubled from the existing 16 lakh to 32 lakh.
Badal also said that now the beneficiaries would now get the facility of Atta at Re 1 instead of Rs 4 per kilogram. Likewise, the Chief Minister said that all out efforts were being made by the state government to impart quality education to the poor and meritorious students studying in the government schools. He said that on one hand these students were being given Rs 30000 per month under the Dr Hargobind Khurana Scholarship scheme and on the other six special schools were being opened to provide world class education to them with free boarding and lodging facilities. On the occasion the Chief Minister also gave Rs 5000 from his personal account to the students of villages securing more than 80% marks. In village Panjawa Mr. Badal also disbursed 50 bicycles to girls under the Mai Bhago Istri Vidya Scheme. He also said that till now the state government has distributed 1,50,000 bicycles amongst the girl students across the state. During the Sangat Darshan, the Chief Minister addressed the gatherings at village Bhagu, Mehna, Chack Middu Singh Wala, Vanmala, Dhani Telian Wali, Sikhwala, Panjawa and Tarmala. The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary Mr. KJS Cheema, Akali leader Mr. Tejinder Singh Middu Khera and Ms. Veerpal Kaur Tarmala.