In order to give further impetus to the development of the state besides ensuring prompt redressal of grievances of people, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today announced that he would hold Sangat Darshan across the state in four days of a week.Interacting with the media persons at the headquarters of Jamaat-e-Ahmediyya here today, the Chief Minister said that Sangat Darshan program was a very fruitful exercise as it brought the government virtually at the doorsteps of the people. He said that the people were highly benefitted from this move as they were able to get their pending issues resolved immediately. Brushing aside the criticism from the Congress, Mr. Badal said that the sole aim of this entire exercise was to give boost to the ongoing development in the state.
The Chief Minister said that the people of the state were the masters of the government and nobody including the Congress leaders could deter him for holding Sangat Darshans to ensure the well being of people. Mr. Badal said that on one day each he would hold Sangat Darshan in the assembly segments of Doaba and Majha region, whereas another two days of week would be dedicated for Sangat Darshan in assembly segments of Malwa region. Congress leaders were making hue and cry over the Sangat Darshan just to score brownie points in media whereas it was on record that the state was largely being benefitted from it, he added.
Lashing out at the Congress leaders from the state, the Chief Minister said that being afraid of their high command, the state Congress leadership had never bothered to raise any issue to safeguard the interests of the state. He further said that the Congress leaders had merely remained mute spectators to the step motherly treatment meted out by the Congress led Union governments with the state. Mr. Badal dared the Congress leaders to question their leadership at the centre about the poor economic scenario of the country. Making a scathing attack on the Congress led UPA government at the centre, the Chief Minister said that the Union government has miserably failed on all the fronts. He said that neither the Union government had been able to protect the sovereignty of the country nor it has made any attempt to check the dwindling position of Rupee in the international market. Mr. Badal said that the grim fiscal situation of the country could be well judged from the fact that even the Prime Minister and Finance Minister had admitted that the Indian economy has failed.
The Chief Minister also said that the Union government has failed to rein in mounting inflation in the country due to which the backbone of the common man has been broken. He said that even the regressive policies of the UPA government has also ruined the farming community of the state, which has made the country self reliant in food production. Mr. Badal said that in such situation the formation of NDA government was the need of the hour because the interests of the country were safe in the hands of NDA.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the compensation given by the Centre government for the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of natural tragedy was too meager to give solace to them. He said that even the riders imposed by the Union government also refrained the states from helping the needy people at the time of crisis. Mr. Badal said that he would soon meet the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and urge him to hike the compensation.
Expressing deep concern over the problems being faced by the Punjabi farmers in Gujarat and Haryana, the Chief Minister said that Shiromani Akali Dal was committed for safeguarding the interests of Punjabis in every nook and corner of world. Attributing the problems faced by Punjabi farmers to the wrong policies of the Union government, he said that the Centre must legislate an act to give uniform rights to people for purchasing land in any part of the country.Earlier the Chief Minister had a brief interaction with the leaders of Jamaat-e-Ahmediyya during which he assured the community that the state government was committed for their well being. On the demand of the community Mr. Badal said that the state government would soon start the work of covering the nullah flowing from the centre of city adding that the work of strengthening and widening of the road from Ahmediyya Chowk to Civil lines would also initiate soon. The Chief Secretary of Jamaat-e-Ahmeddiya Janaab Jalaluddin, Secretary Janaab Zaheer Ahmed Khaddin, Deputy Secretary Janaab Tanvir Ahmed Khaddim and Secretary General Affairs Janaab Mohammed Nasim felicitated the Chief Minister with a Punjabi version of Quran Sharif, a plaque and a shawl. Mr. Badal also released a book ‘World Crisis and the Pathway to peace’ on the occasion.
Earlier addressing the mammoth gathering during the Sangat Darshan program at Qadian, Tugalwal and Jhinder, the Chief Minister said that in coming three years complete transformation of the Qadian assembly segment would take place. Mr. Badal said that every year he would hold Sangat Darshan program in the Qadian constituency to give further fillip to the development of the region.The Chief Minister was accompanied by former Minister Jathedar Sewa Singh Sekhwan, former MLAs Mr. Sarabjeet Singh Makkar and Mr. Lakhvir Singh Lodhinangal, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Gurkirat Kirpal Singh.