Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that President of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal have efficaciously proved his mettle by passing every ‘litmus test’ as head of the party.
Interacting with the media persons here on the sidelines of third and concluding day of Sangat Darshan program in Qadian assembly segment, the Chief Minister said that the most difficult test for any political leader, as the head of a party, was the performance of his party in elections. He said that by ensuring the second consecutive win of SAD in the state assembly elections besides successfully leading the party to thumping victory in Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections and by-elections held in the state Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal has proved his ability as a chief of the party. Refusing to comment on the whether Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal would be re-elected as President of SAD on Tuesday at Amritsar, Mr. Badal said that SAD was a democratic party and its President would be elected by the delegates of the party, who would converge for this purpose tomorrow.
Replying to a query, the Chief Minister categorically said that the state government was not mortgaging even a single property of the state for availing loan to meet its routine administrative expenses. He said that the state government was committed for ensuring the overall welfare of the state but no such step would be taken which was against the interest of Punjab. However Mr. Badal said that the phenomenon of the developmental loans was being adopted by almost every country of the world and there was hardly any harm in it for pursuing the motto of well being of the people. The Chief Minister said that the SAD has no objection whether the political parties were covered under the ambit of Right to Information (RTI) Act or not adding that the centre government was to take the decision on this matter.
The Chief Minister also said that the Punjab government was spending Rs 1700 crore in order to upgrade and strengthen the rural road network in the state. He said every nook and corner of the state would be covered under this ambitious scheme so as to facilitate the people living the rural areas of the state. Mr. Badal also said that the state government was also making endeavors to provide basic civic amenities to the people living in rural areas at par with the urban areas.
Earlier addressing 64 village Panchayats at Sattehali, Kot Santokh Rai and Sohal villages, the Chief Minister said that the sole motive of this Sangat Darshan program was to ensure the overall development of Qadian assembly segment. He said that the malicious propaganda unleashed by the Congress against the Sangat Darshan was politically motivated whereas it was a fact that the people were immensely benefitted by it. Mr. Badal said that the Congress leaders were criticizing this move because their Chief Ministers have largely spent their tenure while indulging in merry-time activities rather than serving the people, who had elected them.
Exhorting the Panchayats to play a proactive role in development of the state, the Chief Minister said that they should rise above the parochial considerations and execute the development works without any ‘pick and choose’. Equating every Sarpanch to the ‘Chief Minister of village’, Mr. Badal said that it was the bounden duty of every Sarpanch to ensure that each strata of society gets the benefit of development.Later on the Chief Minister also inaugurated a Residential School for the children of sixth to eighth class in village Sekhwan. Constructed at a cost of Rs 73 lakh this school would provide free boarding and lodging facilities annually to 100 Children in the age group of 11 to 14 years. Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included former Minister Jathedar Sewa Singh Sekhwan, former MLA Lakhvir Singh Lodhinangal and Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Gurkirat Kirpal Singh.