Badal Terms Reduction Of Petrol Price As An ‘Interim Relief’

SAD-BJP Stands For Development And Peace While Congress For Politics Of Vendetta And Confrontation

5 Dariya News

Fatehgarh Churian (Gurdaspur) 01-Oct-2013

Terming the slashing of Petrol prices by the Congress led UPA government at the Centre as an ‘Interim relief’, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that the Union government was preparing ground for exorbitant hike in the near future.Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of the concluding leg of his two-day Sangat Darshan program in the Fatehgarh Churian assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister categorically said that reduction of petrol price was a strategy of the Union government to garner support in view of the ensuing elections in the four states. However, he said that the situation would further worsen in future as the Union government would hike the prices of petrol manifold in the coming days. Badal said that the Union government was hand in glove with the big oil companies and was leaving no stone unturned to extend largesses to them at the cost of common man.

The Chief Minister further said that the hike in the price of diesel would prove fatal for the farming community which was already reeling under a whopping debt due to the anti-farmer’s policies of the Union government. He said that this hike would also escalate the transport cost due to which the household budget of the common man would be completely shattered. “The move of Centre would further accentuate the woes of a common man who is helpless to manage even two square meals a day due to spiraling prices in this difficult phase.” added Mr. Badal.Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that the sudden surge in the cases of the disrespect of Turban in the foreign countries was an unfortunate development and it was the high time that the Ministry of External Affairs, GoI must exploit all the diplomatic channels at international level to register their protest against this inhuman act which tantamount to hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community. He said that the psyche of Sikhs residing in any part of the world was deeply anguished by such incidents and the Centre must intervene and take a timely and stern action to restore the dignity and honor of turbans in abroad. Mr. Badal said, “It is obligatory on the part of the Union government to safeguard the interests of minority communities and any depart from this moral and ethical duty in this regard would not be tolerated at any cost.”

Squarely blaming the Union government for failing to check the cross border smuggling of drugs in the state, the Chief Minister said that the Central agencies have been unable to discharge their duties in the right earnest; consequently, the unabated supply of drugs was taking place in the state. Mr. Badal said that he had taken up this issue with the top brass of the Union government several times but of no avail. However, he said that on our part the state government was making concerted efforts to check the rampant drug trafficking on one hand and weaning away the youth from this menace by opening de-addiction centers and promoting sports on the other.

Lashing out at the Union government, the Chief Minister said that there was virtually no government functioning at the Centre today and the country was exposed to threats both internally and externally. He said that the Union government has miserably failed on all fronts for which our countrymen were eagerly waiting for the coming Lok Sabha polls to teach them a lesson in a befitting manner. “It is just a matter of few days when this insensitive government would be shown a door by the countrymen” added Mr. Badal.When asked to comment on the arrangements made by the state for procurement of Paddy starting from today, the Chief Minister said that it was the foremost duty of the state government to ensure a hassle free procurement of the farmer’s produce. He said that the entire arrangement for the smooth procurement process has been finalized so as to facilitate the farmers.The Chief Minister also reiterated the firm commitment of the state government to combat the deadly menace of cancer in an effective manner. He said that soon a world class Cancer hospital on the lines of Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital Mumbai would come up at Mullanpur near Chandigarh for providing quality treatment to the cancer patients. Likewise, Mr. Badal said that the infra structure in a number of other hospitals was being upgraded to tackle the problem of cancer in the state.Earlier in his address, the Chief Minister said that despite of the discriminatory policies of the Union government Punjab has registered tremendous progress in all the sectors adding that due to concerted efforts of the SAD-BJP government the state was today leading the country in field of education, Health, infra structure and has been declared the third top most investment destination of the country by the Reserve Bank of India. He said that though due to the wrong policies of the Union government the hard working and resilient farmers of the state were reeling under a whopping debt of Rs 30,000 crore but in order to bail them out the state government was providing them free power at a cost of nearly Rs 6000 crore.

Cautioning the state Congress leadership to refrain from vitiating the atmosphere of the state by spitting venom, the Chief Minister said that the wise people of state have already rejected their pisive policies a number of times. He said that the Congress leaders must learn lesson from their past and desist from misleading the people who would not get swayed away by their malicious propaganda. “People are well aware that SAD-BJP alliance stands for communal harmony, peace and development of the state whereas Congress was synonymous for politics of hatred, vendetta and confrontation” added Mr. Badal.Laying thrust on the need for persification of agriculture, the Chief Minister said that all out efforts were being made by the state government to promote it for safeguarding the interests of the farmers. He said that imparting of Skill education was the need of the hour to open new vistas of self employment for the youth, to make them gainfully employed.  

The Chief Minister was accompanied by former Speaker Mr. Nirmal Singh Kahlon, former Chairman Punjab Tube well Corporation Mr. Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon, his Special Principal Secretary  Gurkirat Kirpal Singh and Deputy Commissioner Dr. Abhinav Trikha.