Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, S. Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the SAD-BJP government has carried out record development in the state during the past 9 years which stands out and speaks for itself. Making an important announcement, he said that all the link roads in the state would be given facelift within next 6 months the process regarding which has begun.Addressing a gathering here on the 2nd and last day of sangat darshan at Banga, he said when the SAD-BJP assumed the reins of power 9 years back, the power sector was in dire straits but the SAD-BJP government turned the situation around and made Punjab a power surplus state and the domestic consumers getting power 24x7 in comparison to the other neighbouring states.Stating further, he said after record generation of power the next big achievement of the Punjab government was to strengthen the road infrastructure.
The Deputy Chief Minister informed that all the major roads of the state were being 4-6 laned at a cost of Rs. 30,000 crore. S. Badal said the people of the state had not witnessed the kind of landmark progress as they have done during the previous 9 years of SAD-BJP rule.Lambasting Congress, he said the successive governments of this party did nothing for the development of state and cannot name even a single progress centric initiative. He further said the state has seen the developmental phase only at the time of a government headed by S. Parkash Singh Badal. He also informed that it was only during the tenure of S. Parkash Singh Badal that all the welfare schemes were launched.Making a special mention of the shagan scheme, pension schemes, free cycles to girls, free health insurance scheme, free power to farmers and SC families, the Deputy CM said the Punjab is the only state where the farming community gets free power to the tune of Rs. 6,000 crore annually which benefits every farmer to the level of Rs. 60,000 per year.
He appealed to the people to play a significant role in forming the third consecutive government in order to continue the momentum of development.Interacting with the media-persons, S. Badal said Captain Amarinder Singh has cheated the people of both Amritsar and the entire state as he didn’t care to attend the Lok Sabha nor did he do anything for the welfare of Punjab during his tenure as Chief Minister.Declaring establishment of AIIMS at Bathinda to be a major achievement, he said with this reputed institution coming up in Punjab, the healthcare facilities would be more strengthened. Replying to a query about drugs tests during police recruitment, the Deputy Chief Minister said the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are out to defame Punjab on the pretext of drug use whereas now it has been made clear in the parliament that Maharashtra tops the chart in deaths owing to drug usage and Punjab is far away at more than 10 spots lower.
On the occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister conducted sangat darshans at village Mandhali, Kaleran and Banga disbursing grants for developmental purposes to 76 villages and 15 wards of Banga town. During the two day sangat darshans, S. Badal disbursed grants worth more than Rs. 10 crore to the Banga constituency. He also inaugurated new SDM and tehsil complex at Banga constructed at a cost of Rs. 3.25 crore besides handed over sanction letters of old age pensions and blue cards to the new beneficiaries. He also announced to widen the approach road to the Roza Mandhali Sharif.Among others present on the occasion included chairman district planning committee Dr. Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, chairman Markfed Jarnail Singh Wahid, special principal secretary to Deputy CM Rahul Tewari, deputy commissioner Vipul Ujjwal, SSP Snehdeep Sharma, former MLA Mohan Lal Banga, district president SAD Baba Ram Singh Dudhaala and district president BJP Sanjiv Bhardawaj.