In the first of its kind innovative project in Punjab which is aimed at bringing the government closer to the people, State Information and Public Relations minister Bikram Singh Majithia today flagged off 50 hi tech LED vans at sports stadium in sector 78, SAS Nagar, which will fan out across the State to spread awareness about government schemes as well as provide information on how people can avail the same.While flagging of the vans, Mr Majithia said the project was inspired by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal who was always keen to take the government to the people. “Through this latest move we have decided to approach the people with a full gamut of steps taken by us to ameliorate their lot. We will highlight both the achievements of the government from making the State power surplus, to the creation of record road infrastructure as well as provide awareness about various social welfare schemes so that the maximum number of deserving people can be taken under their ambit”.Mr Majithia said the 50 vans, which were equipped with a modern LED unit each, would hold programmes across the State in the next few days and start disseminating information about government schemes as well as achievements. He said a complete capsule had been created around the film Chaar Sahibzada which was in itself a singular voice against oppression and tyranny.
He said the film and the accompanying messages would be shown in villages in the evening.Stating that the move was in keeping with the times and that changing times had created the necessity to update methodology of interaction with the people, the IPR minister said inbuilt GPS system with latest vehicle tracking equipment and surveillance cameras had been installed in these vehicles to help the IPR department to monitor vehicle movement and public response.The IPR minister said the project would also be a befitting answer to opposition parties who were speaking lies about development done in Punjab during the last nine years. “We will showcase the development done by us as well as the genuine socio-economic change we have ushered in through a large number of welfare schemes and changes in governance models. “Following this the people can themselves compare the present SAD-BJP government with the previous Congress one led by the Congress party which had recently itself admitted that laying patches on roads had been the most important achievement of the Capt Amarinder Singh led government”.Mr Majithia said while making the State power surplus and ensuring eight hours regular power supply and widening the irrigation network remained the most important achievement of the SAD-BJP government. “We increased power generation from 6201 mw to 11688 mw with an investment of Rs 23,520 crore”. He said besides the State had created the second highest road network in the cou try. He said the government had also succeeded in creating one international airport at Amritsar besides one international airport terminal at Mohali and two domestic terminals at Bathinda and Adampur.
He said the government besides bringing in record development, had also facilitated the people through unique social welfare schemes including the shagun scheme, health insurance scheme for farmers and Mukh mantra teerath yatra scheme.Stating that this was only some of the momentous achievements of the SAD-BJP government, he also did a quick comparison of development done during SAD-BJP government with the previous Congress regime. He said against no thermal plant being constructed during Congress rule, three thermal plants had come up during the tenure of the SAD-BJP government. He said similarly against nil investment in the power sector during the Amarinder government, the SAD-BJP government had facilitated investment of Rs 72,320 crore in this sector. He said similarly during the Congress rule against an investment of Rs 3,156 crore on roads and bridges, the SAD-BJP government had invested Rs 32,275 crore in this sector. Mr Majithia said similarly if one was to talk about investment done in the major cities of Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Bathinda against an investment of Rs 1018 crore during Congress rule, there had been an investment of Rs 4092 crore during SAD-BJP tenure. Stating that the list was endless, he said even in the case of supply of a resource like pure water, the SAD-BJP government had invested Rs 2,651 crore for this purpose against an investment of only Rs 667 crore during Congress rule.
Mr Majithia said Punjab had also achieved the unique distinction of becoming the best State in ease of doing business as well as attracting more than 1.20 lakh crore in investment into the State.Others present on the occasion included chief parliamentary secretary N K Sharma, Media Advisor to Deputy CM - Jangveer Singh and Advisor to Deputy CM - Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Harinder Singh Chandumajra, Paramjit Kaur Landran and Secretary, Public Relations Rahul Tewari. EOM