Advising the former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to refrain from issuing baseless statements, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that the Congress MP should not forget that he (Mr. Badal) was bestowed upon the responsibility of serving the state by the people and only the electorate had the power of removing him Interacting with the media persons after laying down the foundation stone of a project for covering and beautifying an open drain here today, the Chief Minister said that it was the people of Punjab who had elected him as the Chief Minister of the state for the record fifth term adding that he was serving the state as per the wishes of party and the public. Mr. Badal said that throughout his political career he had been a votary of morality and had never stooped so low by issuing undesirable and unwarranted statements. “My friend Captain Amarinder must understand that democracy is based on the verdict of people and not by whims and fancies of any inpidual” he added.
When asked to comment on the botched eye surgeries in Ghuman village of the district, the Chief Minister said that he had already ordered a high level probe to inquire into the matter and no one whosoever affluent he was would not be spared at any cost. Mr. Badal said that every culprit of this heinous crime would be brought to book as per the law of the land. Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that there was no dearth of funds to eradicate the curse of drugs from the state and the state government was making all out efforts in this direction by setting up drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centers for the addicts. Reiterating the firm commitment of the state government to make Punjab a drug free state, he solicited fulsome support and cooperation of the public in this noble cause. Mr. Badal also said that the only solution for checking this menace was to totally cut down the supply line of drugs both from within the country and from abroad for which they were regularly taking up this issue with the Union government. Later on addressing a public gathering, the Chief Minister said that the project to cover and beautify the open drain would prove to be a boon for the residents of this town. He said that this project conceived at a cost of Rs 25 crore would solve one of the major problems of the city. Mr. Badal said that the state government would take every step for developing this historic town of immense significance.
The Chief Minister further said that the state government has been according top priority to the education and health sector in the state. He said that massive program for the infra structure development in the government schools have been initiated by the state government. Likewise, Mr. Badal said that concerted efforts were being made to supply potable drinking water to the residents across the state.
Making a scathing attack on the Congress party for excessive centralization of powers, the Chief Minister said that the successive Congress governments at the centre had encroached upon the rights of the states which led to regional imbalance in the country. He said that though the states were responsible to people for every work but they had little power. So, Mr. Badal said that the only solution to this was implementation of Federal Structure in the country. “Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s initiative of calling a meeting of Chief Minister’s in national capital was a right step in this direction” he added.
The Chief Minister said that Congress was a spent force in the country and it hardly had any future in the political scenario of the country as well as state. Quipping at state Congress leadership, he said that it was a pided house which would soon crumble like a ‘Pack of cards’. Mr. Badal exhorted the people to not get swayed away by the misleading propaganda of the Congress leaders. The Chief Minister was accompanied by former Minister Jathedar Sewa Singh Sekhwan, former MLA Mr. Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal, Youth Akali leader Mr. Jagroop Singh Sekhwan, Akali leader Jathedar Jarnail Singh Mahal, his Special Principal Secretary Mr. Ajoy Kumar Sharma, Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr. AK Mittal, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Abhinav Trikha and Chief Adminsitrator Amritsar Development Authority Mr. Sandeep Rishi.