Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that a deputation of the senior Akali leaders would soon call on the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for flagging up the issue of release of Sikh prisoners languishing in various jails across the country, even after completion of their punishment. Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of annual function of the Dashmesh Academy here today, the Chief Minister said that Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) would vehemently plead the case of these Sikh prisoners before the Union government for securing their release. Badal said that he had already took up this matter with the respective state governments and the centre for releasing these prisoners adding that the final call on this issue was to come from the Union government. When asked to comment on media reports regarding the rejection of these cases by the Union government, he said that the state government has not yet received any communiqué over this matter from the Centre.
The Chief Minister further said that the SAD-BJP alliance was everlasting and both the parties should not be seen as different from each other. He said that the tried and tested alliance between both the parties was a unique phenomenon of the Indian democratic system, which has passed every litmus test in last few years. . Badal said that the SAD- BJP alliance has always stood the test of time adding that the relationship between both the alliance partners was very strong, impeccable and cordial because it has been time and again cemented with mutual affection and understanding.
Expressing grave concern over menace of unemployment in the state, the Chief Minister said that the state government was fully sensitized towards this problem and the only solution to tackle it was to impart skill training in different fields to enable them to earn their livelihood. He said that the state government has embarked a special scheme to train youth under various skill development programs in order to cater the needs of the local industry. “Skilled manpower will give much needed fillip to the economic growth of the state thereby acting as a catalyst for all round development of the state and prosperity of its people” Mr. Badal added. Squarely blaming the successive Congress governments at the centre for ruining the state’s economy, the Chief Minister said that the step motherly treatment by Congress coupled with its regressive policies have broken the backbone of Punjab’s economy. He said that the Congress has always adopted an anti-Punjab stance due to which the development of the state has suffered a lot. Mr. Badal said that Punjab’s economy has been adversely affected due to the partition of the country and prolonged militancy but it got the fatal blow when the Congress granted incentives to the neighboring states, which led to the mass exodus of the industry of the state to these hilly states.
Earlier addressing the gathering after felicitating the meritorious students on the annual day of the academy, the Chief Minister vowed to make it top class institute at par with Doon and Sanawar school adding that the day was not far when this prestigious Academy would soon come up as one of the leading residential public schools in the country. Mr Badal said since its inception way back in 1978, when its foundation stone was laid by the then President of India Mr N. Sanjeeva Reddy, this state of the art academy was his dream project adding that he was still passionately involved in it to bring it at the zenith. The Chief Minister also congratulated the students of academy for excelling in varied fields of sports, academics and extra-curricular activities. Mr. Badal further said that due to the stupendous efforts of the state government, Punjab was today leading the country in the field of education.
Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Cabinet Ministers Mr Surjeet Singh Rakhra and Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema, Rajya Sabha MP Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder, SGPC Member Mr. Amarjeet Singh Chawla, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr Ajoy Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Mrs. Tanu Kashyap, Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. Varinderpal Singh, Director of Academy Major General (Retd.) JS Ghuman, Principal Colonel (Retd.) Amarjeet Singh and Secretary of the trust Air Marshall (Retd.) MM Singh.