Realizing the plight of the distressed peasantry in the country, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Government of India (GoI) to immediately constitute a sub group of the Chief Ministers from the predominantly agrarian states to address the issues related to them on the priority. Addressing the state level function to launch three major development projects here at Ranjit Avenue, the Chief Minister said that it was the high time to redress the grievances of beleaguered peasantry, which was on cross roads due to the apathy of the previous Congress governments at the Centre. He reminded the NDA government led by the Prime Minister Mr. NarendraModi that these hapless farmers were banking upon his government to bring them out from the deep agrarian crisis prevailing in the country. Mr. Badal said that he would personally take a call on this issue tomorrow when he meets the Prime Minister during a meeting of Chief Ministers in New Delhi.
The Chief Minister said that he was nominated as the convener of one such Sub group for Skill Development, which has certainly come up with certain path breaking recommendations likely to be submitted to the GoI in its final report. He hoped that recommendations of this sub-group would also be beneficial for preparing a blue print to make the agriculture occupation economically viable and financially sustainable. Mr. Badal also pointed out that the dynamic Prime Minister like Modi could only resolve this issue efficaciously as this had ever remained the least priority of the successive Congress governments.
The Chief Minister also urged the Union Finance Minister Mr. ArunJaitley to come up with a viable crop insurance policy to cover the entire damage suffered by the farmers due to the natural calamities and even vagaries of weather. He said that his government had been pleading time and again before the Congress led UPA government to introduce this scheme but of no avail. Mr. Badal said that they were quite hopeful for insurance scheme for the farmers in the near future as the NDA government in its first year has gifted prestigious projects like HRIDAY scheme, IIM and Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research and Education for Amritsar besides setting up of AIIMS in the state. Expressing gratitude to the Union Minister for Urban Development and Housing and Mr. M Venkiah Naidu for including the holy city of Amritsar under HRIDAY scheme, the Chief Minister said that it was a befitting tribute to Guru RamdassJi, the founder of this holy city. He also mentioned that several cities and towns have been founded by eminent personalities from different walks of life but there were only few prominent cities/ towns founded by great Sikh Gurus like Sri Kartarpur Sahib (now in Pakistan) by first Guru Sri Guru Nanak DevJi, Sri Anandpur Sahib by ninth Sikh Guru Sri TegBahadurJi and Sri Kiratpur Sahib by Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji and many others.
Nullifying the false propaganda unleashed by the opposition that the NDA government has ignored the interests of SAD-BJP alliance government in the state, the Chief Minister said that it was BJP led NDA government at centre, which has sanctioned major road projects worth Rs 19000 crore for the state. He negated the claim of the Congress party about the bleak chances of truckloads of money to be sent in Punjab, when the NDA was voted to power at centre, he said that if the entire amount sanctioned for road sector alone was converted into currency then it would be difficult to carry it in even ‘two full truckloads’.Speaking on the occasion the Union Finance Minister Mr. ArunJaitley said that the SAD-BJP alliance was not merely a political alliance but actually a social alliance aimed at strengthening the bonds of peace, communal harmony, amity and brotherhood in the state. Highly appreciating the leadership qualities of the Chief Minister, he said that Mr. Badal was not only a towering personality in Indian polity but also a great guide and philosopher especially to him. Mr. Jaitley also highly complemented the resilient Punjabis for their hard work, who had played a pro-active role in the overall development of the country in every field be it agriculture industry and academics.
The Union Finance Minister said that Punjab being a cradle of Indian civilization was all set to lead the country in the arena of agriculture and defence for which it was aptly known as the sword arm and granary of the nation. He said that the GoI has made budgetary allocation of Rs 50000 crore for the national irrigation network in the country from which Punjab would be immensely benefitted. Mr. Jaitley said that Punjab would soon emerge as a role model for the other states in the country to have the best four/ six laned road network despite a smaller state as compared to other ones where one could safely reach from one end to another just within shortest time period.
He also assured Mr. Badal that a practical crop insurance scheme for farmers would be in place soon as the modalities in this regard had already been finalized and the farmers would get the compensation at their doorsteps without any inordinate delay or undue harassment. Divulging the details of HRIDAY (Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojna) scheme, the Union Urban Development Minister Mr. M Venkiah Naidu said that the holy city of Amritsar has been selected for this prestigious scheme at a cost of Rs 68.45 crore. He also announced that 16 towns/ cities of the state,namely Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Batala, Moga, Pathankot, SAS Nagar, Abohar, Malerkotla, Khanna, Ferozepur, Muktsar and Barnala, have been selected under his Ministry’s ambitious AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) aimed at addressing the urbanization issue and provide better facilities to the people.
In his address the Deputy Chief Minister MrSukhbir SinghBadalurged the Union Finance Minister to resume the flights from international airport Amritsar to across the globe so as to facilitate the NRI brethren to stay in touch with their motherland. Likewise, he also sought the personal intervention of Mr. Jaitley for flagging up the issue for granting permission to set up domestic air terminals at Adampur and Halwara Air force terminals. Mr. SukhbirSingh Badalalso impressed upon the Union Finance Minister to take up the issue of bringing the list of items exported from ICP Attariat par with those exported from Mumbai to Karachi via sea route, so as to usher an era of unprecedented development in the state. Thanking MrJaitley for allocating several prestigious projects for the state, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the Congress deprived the state of its due share in developmental projects but now from the very first day after assuming his office the Union Finance Minister has given several key projects for the state. He said that it was unfortunate that though the previous PM of the country not only hailed from the state but from this holy however he didn't bother to sanction any major project to it and on the other hand MrJaitley had given key projects to state that would be instrumental in giving boost to its economy. MrSukhbir Singh Badalsaid that the Union Finance Minister has assured him that he would get all the development projects and schemes stuck up at different quarters in GoI cleared through his personal intervention. Lashing out at former Chief Minister Captain AmarinderSingh, the deputy Chief Minister said that the royal scion of Patiala had never bothered about the issues and problems confronted by common man and has distanced himself from masses after having been elected as MP from Amritsar. MrSukhbir Singh Badalsaid that dismal performance of captain as MLA and MP was a testimony to the fact that he hardly feel any need to meet people. He said that on the other hand the Punjab Chief Minister MrParkashSingh Badalhas dedicated his entire life for the wellbeing of the common man by organizing SangatDarshan programs to redress their grievances at their door steps.
Listing the achievements of SAD-BJP alliance government, theDeputy Chief Minister said that due to concerted efforts of the state government Punjab was today a power surplus state. He said that complete transformation of the state has taken place during the alliance government. MrSukhbir Singh Badalsaid that the state government was making stupendous efforts to ensure overall development of the rural and urban areas of the state for which a major scheme has been embarked at a cost of nearly Rs 4000 crore.In his address, the Revenue Minister MrBikram Singh Majithiahailed the Union Finance Minister MrArunjaitley for generously allotting key projects like IIM, AIIMS and others to the state. He said that it was for the first time in the history of state that union government has kept budgetary provisions to ensure overall development of the state. He hoped that this was just the beginning of a golden chapter which would be scripted by MrJaitleyby allocating more such key projects to the state. MrMajithia urged the Union Finance Minister to extend the eastern freight corridor to Attari in order to boosttrade and commerce activity in the state.
In his address state BJP president Mr Kamal Sharma said that both the center and state government must work in harmony to hasten the pace of development in the state. He said that the unparalleled development in the state during the tenure of just one year of NDA rule has stunned the opposition and the day was not very far off when Punjab would be a frontrunner state in the country. On the occasion, the Chief Minister, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister and Union Food Processing Minister Mrs. HarsimratKaurBadal, along with Mr. Jaitley, Mr. Naidu and other dignitaries digitally laid the foundation HRIDAY Yojna for holy city and four laning of Ganga Nagar-Ferozepur-Amritsar national highway at a cost of Rs 1100 crore. Earlier the Chief Minister along with Mr. ArunJaitley visited the meritorious school the brainchild of Mr. Badal to impart quality education to the economically poor and bright students.
He felicitated the top five students of the schools each with a cash prize of Rs 10000. Later in the evening Mr. Badal and Union Finance Minister inaugurated the newly constructed Drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centre to enable the drug addicts to lead a life with dignity and honor. Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Union Ministers MrsHarsimratKaurBadal and Mr Vijay Sampla, LokSabha MP JathedarRanjit Singh Brahmpura, Cabinet Ministers Mr Anil Joshi, MrParminder Singh Dhindsa, Dr DS Cheema and MrGulzar Singh Ranike, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mr KD Bhandari, MrAmarpal Singh Bonny, Prof Virsa Singh Valtoha, MrInderbir Singh Bolaria, Mr Des Raj Dhugga, Mr GS Babbehali and MrSomParkash, Media advisor to Chief Minister MrHarcharanBains, Media Advisor to Deputy Chief Minister MrJangveerSingh, Advisor to Chief Minister MrTikshanSud, MLAs ManoranjanKalia, BibiJagirKaur, MrManjitSingh Mianwindand MrBaljeetSingh JalaalUsma, former Ministers JathedarSucha Singh langah, MrNirmalSingh Kahlonand Prof laxmiKantaChawla, National General Secretary of BJP MrTarunChugh, Vice Chairman Punjab State Planning Board Mr. RajinderBhandari, Chief Secretary Mr. SarveshKaushal, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema and Director Information and Public Relations Mr. Rahul Tiwari.