Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that due to the ‘Financial Injustice’ meted out to the state by the successive Congress governments at the Union level, Punjab was reeling under staggering debt. Addressing the gathering at the 24th Death anniversary of Sant Avtar Singh Seechewal here today, the Chief Minister said that despite of enormous contribution of the state in making country surplus in food production the successive Centre governments have meted out step motherly treatment to Punjab. Badal said that it was the irony of the fate that the diligent farmers of the state which were feeding the whole country by filling the national food pool were themselves reeling under the debt of more then Rs 32000 crore. He further said that the worst thing was that the state has been deprived of its legitimate share in revenue collection due to which its overall development has suffered adversely. Lashing out at the Center government, the Chief Minister said that the Union government frame policies to deliberately exclude the state from getting its benefits. He said that due to such policies the industry and agriculture of the state was on the brink of economic disaster. Badal said that though the state has created record by producing bumper crop of wheat in the country but the Union government has not made adequate arrangements for storage and lifting of the food grains, this despite of the fact that he had personally requested the Centre government to look into the matter. The Chief Minister further said that owing to the excessive centralization of the policies by the Union government the federal structure enshrined in the constitution of the country has been ruined. Badal said that as a result of it in order to get the funds sanctioned for development of their states from the Center, the respective state governments have to look forward towards it, thus reducing their position to mere beggars. He said that due to such policies of the Union government, most of the time of the state governments is wasted in seeking approval from them. Slamming the Congress led UPA government at Centre for the recent hike in price of petrol the Chief Minister said that the hike would unleash fresh inflationary trends resulting in further increase prices of all essential commodities and breaking the back of the common man. He said that the Union government was framing the policies without looking into the ground reality. Earlier talking to the media persons at Jalandhar the Chief Minister reiterated that the Union government should give economic package to the state for bailing out the state from debt burden of Rs.11000 crore as it had alone fought decade longnation’s battle against militancy to secure the unity and integrity of the country. Badal further said that he had already met the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on the issue adding that he was hopeful that the Union government would look into the matter sympathetically. He also said that the Union government should refrain from drafting uniform policies for all the states rather it should give a free hand to the states to formulate policies according to the felt needs of their people. The Chief Minister said that the state government has already asked the Centre government to review its criteria of constructing the roads under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna and for constructing the roads in Border districts as the criteria fixed by the Union government was creating hindrances for the state to reap its benefits.During the function at village Seechewal eminent environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal honored the Chief Minister with a Robe of honor (Siropa) and a momento.The Chief Minister was accompanied by Cabinet Minister Ajit Singh Kohar, MLA Nakodar Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister KJS Cheema besides several party leaders and workers.