In a bid to facilitate the pilgrims desiring to pay obeisance at Takht Shri Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal today sought the personal intervention of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to impress upon the Railway Ministry to establish a new Rail link between Bathinda and Talwandi Sabo.
The Chief Minister who called on Dr Manmohan Singh at his residence here on Wednesday morning apprised him that the Five "Takhts" were the holiest shrines for the Sikh community so millions of Sikh pilgrims from all over the world visit these holy shrines every year because it was their life time wish to pay visit at these Takhts. However Mr Badal said that amongst all these Takhts located at Amritsar, Patna Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, Hazur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo, it was only Takht Shri Damdama Sahib located at Talwandi Sabo, which was not connected with a rail link. He further said that as the distance between Bathinda and Talwandi Sabo was merely 28 – 30 kilometres so keeping in view Sikh religious sentiments, the Prime Minister must ask the Railways Ministry to expedite the process of establishing a new Rail link between both these places. Later on the Chief Minister also met the Union Railway Minister Mr Pawan Bansal on the same issue.
Raising another equally important issue related to the Health sector, the Chief Minister urged Dr Manmohan Singh to expedite the process of granting requisite approvals for setting up the Cancer Hospital at Mullanpur near Chandigarh. Mr Badal informed the Prime Minister that the land site for the proposed hospital had already been handed over to Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) by the state government adding that the Detailed Project Report for this hospital to come up at a cost of Rs.450 Crore was likely to be finalised within this week after which it would be presented before the Union Cabinet by the PMO for approval.Batting for the provision of a Rs 5000 crore Technology Mission for agriculture persification in the 12th Five Year Plan for the Green Revolution States on the lines of Eastern states, the Chief Minister requested Dr Manmohan Singh to constitute a Group of Ministers (GoM) for giving recommendations regarding it after thoroughly examining the matter. Seeking the assistance of Union government to encourage the farmers to adopt crop persification which would go a long way in supplementing the income of the beleaguered peasantry of the state who were already on the crossroads due to negligible returns on their produce due to ever accelerating farm inputs, Mr Badal further said that persification could be possible only with the active support of Union government.
The Chief Minister further apprised Dr Manmohan Singh that in Punjab Maize and Soya were two best alternative crops to paddy, however crop persification in the state could only become possible if MSP and assured market for these two crops were provided. He also requested the Prime Minister to establish a sub centre of Directorate of Soya Research (DSR), Indore in Punjab for promoting soya initiative. Likewise Mr Badal said that Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) should be asked to carry out MSP operations in Cotton markets of the State adding that Rs.50 Crore should be provided for setting up 10 new mandies in cotton belt.Reiterating that persification to livestock sector was necessary to supplement the income of the distressed farmers of the state, the Chief Minister pleaded that Dairying and Animal Husbandry Sectors should be treated at par with Agriculture for the purpose of interest rate on loans and income tax etc adding that exemption from custom duty for import of machinery relating to dairy, poultry, feed and fodder was also the need of the hour. He also requested the Prime Minister to establish an ICAR unit for research in monosex Tilapia fish in the State. Mr Badal also pleaded that in order to ensure more research in this field additional funds should be given to the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University (GADVASU) Ludhiana.
Taking up the issue of rehabilitation of the Co-operative Sugar Mills of the state, the Chief Minister sought a Special package from Dr Manmohan Singh to revive them. Mr Badal also requested the Prime Minister to ensure that more Corporation cities of Punjab other than Ludhiana were covered under Vegetable initiative for Urban Clusters. Demanding the inclusion of Agroforestry under CAMPA, he also sought a Special package for Lantana eradication exclusively for Kandi Areas of Punjab.
Seeking the intervention of Dr Manmohan Singh for directing the Union Civil Supply and Railway Ministries to expedite the movement of foodgrains from the state, the Chief Minister also pleaded that at present Punjab has 122 lakh Metric Ton (MT) of wheat and 57 lakh MT of rice adding that 130 lakh MT of wheat and 69 lakh MT of rice would be added in the current season. However he said that presently the movement of wheat was at the rate of 7 lakh MT and for rice 6 lakh MT per month which was too inadequate to clear the stock in time. Therefore Mr Badal urged the Prime Minister to ensure that at least 16 lakh MT of wheat and 14 lakh MT of Rice per month should be moved out of Punjab to liquidate these stocks before the fresh arrival.Mr Badal also urged the Prime Minister to ensure early Cabinet clearance for the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by the High Level Expert Group (HLEG) constituted by the Union Rural Development Minister Mr Jai Ram Ramesh under the Member (Water Resources and Rural Development) Planning Commission of India, Dr Mihir Shah to study the problem of water logging in the state. The Chief Minister apprised Dr Manmohan Singh that the DPR was lying with the Planning Commission and its early clearance was required for solving this grave problem.
Raising another vital issue the Chief Minister urged Dr Manmohan Singh to immediately roll back the excise duty levied on the bi-cycle industry besides withdrawing the hike of FOB price from existing 12.3% to 15% Mr Badal submitted that the bi-cycle industry in Punjab was one of the oldest industry of the state which gave employment to 1.5 lakh people. However he said that with imposition of 2% Excise Duty last year, the industry has suffered decline of 8% adding that there was further threat from Chinese cycles whose prices were 15% less than India. Mr Badal pleaded that the cost of freight from Ludhiana to Mumbai was nearly equal to that from Mumbai to Hamburg so in order to provide due impetus to the growth of bicycle industry of Punjab, the need of hour was to subsidise inland freight up to the port of departure.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Resident Commissioner Punjab Mr K Siva Prasad.