Marking a red letter day in the history of Punjab, the Deputy Chief Minister, S. Sukhbir Singh Badal today launched the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna’ in the state and distributed LPG gas connections and stoves to the women belonging to the BPL families.Addressing a gigantic crowd on the occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister while thanking the Union Minister of state for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan said that this novel measure would ensure the benefit to lakhs of BPL families in the state facing health hazards for until now they had to cook food on traditional ‘Chullahs’. He also said that those families in Punjab who don’t have these connections till now would be given these connections in 45-50 days. He also informed that modern cooking stoves (chullahs) would be given free of cost by the Punjab government to the BPL families. Disclosing more, he said that by December, 2016 all BPL families would be covered under this initiative.
Making another landmark announcement, the Deputy Chief Minister said that a plant at a cost of Rs. 500 crore would be established at Bathinda with assistance with the Union ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, which would make bio-fuel from the residue of paddy crop. He said that its foundation stone would be laid in a few days time. Terming it as a remarkable initiative, S. Badal said that this would put a stop to the burning of paddy which in turn would lead to reduction of pollution level in the environment. Divulging more, he said that the stress would be on establishing these plants in every district in league with the private players and the modalities would be worked out soon. He also said that this unique measure would also result in the farmers getting richer by Rs. 3000-4000 per acre.
While interacting with the media-persons, S. Badal lauded the de-monetization decision taken by the Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and said that this would definitely put a stop to the black money.Touching the developmental aspects, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the SAD-BJP government has unleashed an era of prosperity in the state which is evident from the revolutionary measures such as-Making state power surplus, Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojna for farmers and traders which has been availed by 1 lakh people in previous 6 months. Elaborating more, he said that 160 cities in the state would get sewerage and clean drinking water facilities at a cost of Rs. 5000 crore giving greater push to the efforts of Punjab government to provide basic amenities to the people of the state.
Terming SAD-BJP alliance a pre-requisite for keeping aloft the banner of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat, S. Badal said that the SAD-BJP government would continue to strive for the development of Punjab on all parameters of prosperity.Among those present on the occasion were Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla, Irrigation Minister, Punjab, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, MLAs Ranjit Singh Dhillon and S.R. Kler, President Ludhiana BJP Ravinder Arora, Special Principal Secretaries to the Deputy Chief Minister- Rahul Tewari and Manvesh Singh Sidhu, Mayor Ludhiana Municipal Corporation Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria and other SAD-BJP leaders.