Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced that tube well connections to the farmers will be provided on demand after six months as the state has become power surplus after commissioning of new power plants in the state.After laying foundation stones of sewerage projects worth more than Rs. 65 crores at Kot Ise Khan, Nihal Singh Wala and Badni Kalan in Moga district, Mr Badal said that state government has released more than one lakh tube well connections in this month and new agricultural power connections would be installed on demand on the pattern of the domestic supply connections with the commissioning of two new thermal plants in the state.
Mr. Badal said that the state was incurring an additional burden Rs 6000 crore per year for giving free power to the farmers but this facility would continue to provide relief to the faming community. He also announced that state government would provide development grant amounting to Rs. 100 crore to each constituency in the two years. Deputy CM said that a concerted drive to ensure cent percent clean water supply and sewerage system besides CC flooring and concrete streets has already been initiated and within two years the Punjab villages would witness unprecedented development.Deputy CM further said that the Punjab Government has taken path breaking initiatives to ensure the well being of every strata of the society. Adding further, he said that state has launched a number of pro-poor welfare schemes like Atta-Dal, Dr. Hargobind Khurana Scholarship, Mai Bhago scheme, Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima and others to benefit the deprived sections of the society. He also announced that from the next week more than 30 lakh poor families would get wheat @ Rs. 1 per kg under the revised Atta-Dal scheme.
Holding the UPA led government at center guilty of ruining the farmers of the state, Mr Badal said that due to the exorbitant hike in diesel, fertilizer, pesticides and agriculture inputs coupled with the non remunerative MSP, the peasantry of the state was on the verge of economic disaster.He appealed the people to show the door to Congress in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections for its anti-people and anti-poor policies. To ensure overall development of Punjab he exhorted the electorates to form NDA government at the center led by Mr. Narendra Modi who could only run the country to fulfill the aspirations of the people.Amongst others present on the occasion included Bibi Parmjit Kaur Gulshan MP, Tota Singh, Rajwinder Kaur Bhagike both MLAs, Ajit Singh Shant former MLA, Kewal Singh former MP, Barjinder Singh Brar Chairman Punjab Health Systems Corporation.