Newly sworn in Union minister for Food Processing Industry Harsimrat Kaur Badal visited the holy city here today on a thanks giving trip during the course of which she paid obeisance at the Harmandar Sahib, Durgiana Mandir and Ram Teerath besides paying her respects to the martyrs of the freedom struggle at Jallianwala Bagh.The Union minister, who was accompanied by Revenue minister Bikram Singh Majtihia, was given a spontaneous welcome by the people at large besides akali leaders and workers at the Darbar Sahib complex. She was presented with a siropa and shawl at the Information Office by executive member Rajinder Singh Mehta. Before this she took a 'parkirma' of the Harmandar Sahib during the course of which she paid obeisance at the Dukhbhanjani Beri and the martyrdom site of Baba Deep Singh before praying at the sanctum sanctorum.
Badal was accompanied by MP Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Animal Husbandry minister Gulzar Singh Ranike former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur, former minister Dr Upinderjit Kaur, former MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, Vir Singh Lopoke and chief parliamentary secretaries Mohinder Kaur Josh, Virsa Singh Valtoha, Harmeet Singh Sandhu, Inderbir Singh Bolaria and Swarup Chand Singla. At the Durgiana Mandir Mrs Badal was accorded a traditional welcome by Managing Committee general secretary Ramesh Sharma. Earlier she visited the Jallianwala Bagh where she placed a wreath at the memorial constructed in memory of those who were massacred in this ground during the freedom struggle. Later during her visit to Ram Tirath, she was given a traditional welcome by the temple authorities. In an informal interaction with newsmen at the Information office at the Darbar Sahab complex, the Union minister thanked the almighty as well as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bestowing this honour on her. "As far as I am concerned my priorities are clear. I feel there is a lot of wastage of foodgrains and that persification coupled with food processing is the need of the hour.
I also feel that besides adding value to our farm produce we should also ensure that consumers get the same at the most reasonable cost possible". When questioned about the immediate steps her ministry would take vis a vis Punjab, Mrs Badal said now she had the responsibility of the entire country as far as food processing was concerned. "However Punjab is in my heart. I know the problems of the farmers of Punjab and will take steps to mitigate them".In answer to a query, the Union minister said she had visited Finance minister and Amritsar BJP parliamentary candidate Arun Jaitely in Delhi recently and the latter had assured her that he would remain in touch with Amritsar, maintain his house in the city and even work for its development. In reply to a question, she said she respected the mandate of the people but could not restrain herself from admitting that the people had missed a tremendous opportunity by failing to elect Arun Jaitely from this seat. She also asserted that it was a misinterpretation to claim that the SAD-BJP alliance had fared very badly in the parliamentary election. "The fact of the matter is that the number of seats won by us has gone up from five to six. Having said this I understand the need for introspection in areas we have not done well and that exercise is underway". When questioned about what she planned to do to provide justice to the victims of the 1984 genocide, she said she would do the required 'sewa' as stipulated by the almighty.