Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today lamented that the Congress led UPA Government at the Centre was bent upon ruining the country socially, politically and economically by adopting the policy of excessive centralization of powers.
Addressing the gathering here on the second day of his whirlwind thanks giving tour of the Lambi assembly segment, the Chief Minister assailed the Union government for ignoring the welfare of people by formulating the policies autocratically, without concerning the state governments. He said that the tendency of the Centre government to usurp the powers of the state government was very dangerous as it not only violated the fundamental principles of democracy but because it also develops a feeling of alienation amongst the state. Advocating a better deliberation between Union government and the state government before formulation of a national level policy, the Chief Minister said that the Centre must take advice from the state governments so that good policies for the betterment of people could be drafted and implemented properly. “At present the Union government was not taking any advice from the state governments due to which sheer chaos was prevailing in the country” added Mr Badal.
Lashing out further at the Union government, the Chief Minister said that the UPA government has failed to perform on all the fronts as a result of which the common man was reeling under heavy economic burden. He said that it was irony of fate that the Congress party had came to power on the name of “Aam Aadmi” but in order to extend largesse to big oil companies it had deliberately hiked the fuel prices exorbitantly in last few years for their own vested interests, much to the dismay of common man. The Chief Minister said that it was ironical that the Union government was far more concerned to pursue the interests of the big industrial houses but was least bothered to mitigate the woes of the farmers of the state, who played a vital role in making the country self sufficient in food production. He said that the fact that the Congress led UPA government had never bothered to give remunerative prices of their crops to the farmers reflects the indifferent attitude of the Union government towards them. “The massive hike in agricultural inputs during the current regime of UPA government has increased the agonies of the farming community as it was on the brink of economic disaster” added Mr Badal.
However he said that the only way to come out of the current mess caused by the anti-farmers polices of the Union government was to promote persification of agriculture along with the co-operative farming in the state, for which their government was making stupendous efforts. Mr Badal said that the state has already excelled in the field of fish farming and now they were trying to make the farmers aware of the other allied fields of agriculture through which they could generate handsome income. Likewise the Chief Minister said that in order to provide self employment opportunities to the unemployed youth of the state, the SAD-BJP alliance government would be opening new institutes for imparting technical education to them so that they could earn their livelihood.
He said that in the same manner the state government would be recruiting the new staff in its departments annually in a transparent manner so that jobs could be provided to the unemployed youth and efficient administration could be given to the people. Thanking the people for voting the SAD-BJP alliance back to power in the state, the Chief Minister assured them that the alliance would fulfill all the promises made to the people. He also said that they would leave no stone unturned in making the state number one in the country.
On the second day of his thanks giving tour the Chief Minister addressed thanks giving meetings in 10 villages which included Killianwali, WarringKhera, Lohara, Ghumiara, MidhuKhera, FattaKhera, Hakuwala, BhullarWala, KanduKhera and Bhitiwala.
Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Special Principal Secretaries to the Chief Minister Mr KJS Cheema and Mr Gurkirat Kirpal Singh and Chairman of Sulabh International Mr Bindeshwar Pathak.