Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday reiterated his commitment to the waiver of farm debts, saying his government would soon find ways and means to bail out the debt-ridden farmers, with or without the help of the central government.The Chief Minister was interacting with the media after inaugurating D-Mart’ first post-IPO store in Punjab in Zirakpur.Assuring that his government was duty-bound to fulfill every promise made to the people in its election manifesto, Captain Amarinder said the state government had approached the Union Government for waiver of farmers’ loans but even if it failed to get any support from the Centre, it would ensure that the farmers are freed of their mounting debts, for which the state machinery had already been set into motion.Referring to the Congress poll promise of eliminating the drugs menace from the state, the Chief Minister said the Special Task Force (STF) constituted by the state government was firmly dealing with the scourge and would ensure that drugs are wiped out from the land of Punjab. Captain Amarinder Singh said the STF headed by senior IPS officer Mr. Harpreet Singh Sidhu was working diligently and the day was not far when this problem would be wiped out from the state.
On the issue of eradication of corruption, the Chief Minister said necessary steps were being taken for the same, with his government working hard to put things in order in the state, which had been pushed backward by the misdeeds of the Akalis and the BJP, who ruled Punjab for 10 years. He further said the state government would soon bring out a ‘White Paper’ on the state’s economy, to expose the financial havoc wreaked by the Akalis on Punjab.Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that his government had also initiated the process of curbing illegal mining, which had become rampant during the SAD-BJP misrule, in the state. He said a number of mines would be auctioned in the coming days, after which the price of sand and gravel in Punjab would normalize. Captain Amarinder Singh said that welfare of the public and the development of the state was the top priority of his government, which has taken a number of path-breaking initiatives in this direction.The Chief Minister was accompanied by PPCC vice president Mr. Kewal Singh Dhillon, Congress leaders Mr. Deepinder Singh Dhillon and Mr. Jaspal Singh, his Officer on Special Duty Mr. MP Singh, Deputy Commissioner Ms. Gurpreet Kaur Sapra and Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. Kuldeep Singh Chahal.
Earlier, inaugurating the sprawling D-Mart store, set up in Dhillon Silicon Square, Zirakpur, the Chief Minister welcomed the company’s plans to set up 10 stores initially in the state with an investment of approximately Rs. 500 crores, providing direct employment to about 1000 youth. The key focus of his government, he said, would be on getting Punjab back on the track with a highly investor-friendly climate, generating employment for the youth and restoring investor confidence in the state. Captain Amarinder said a new industrial policy, aimed at wooing investors and concurrently generating employment for the local youth, would soon be unveiled by his government.Besides Mr. Kewal Dhillon, others present at the inauguration were Mr. Karan Dhillon, along with Mr. Kanwar Dhillon, Principal Dhillon Group; Mr. Elvin Machado, Executive Director Avenue Supermarts (which owns and operates D-Mart); Mr. Prakash Pachisia, Director Avenue Supermarts; Mr. Rajesh Seth, AVP Avenue Supermarts; and Mr. Vivek Goswami, Manager Property Acquisitions Avenue Supermarts, were also present.