Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that he has personally taken the case of seeking special compensation for the extensive loss suffered by the cotton growers due to sudden attack of white fly with the Government of India (GoI) besides also securing a bailout package for the sugarcane growers and the mills.Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of the annual Babehalli Chinjh here today, the Chief Minister said that he was confident that the state government would get handsome compensation from the centre to help the beleaguered cotton growers of Malwa region. Likewise, the centre was also considerate to help the state in resolving impending sugarcane crisis in the state. Mr. Badal said that the state government was also taking special initiatives to pull out the sugarcane growers from this crisis viz-a-viz the mill owners besides ensuring smooth crushing season.
Replying to another query about his recent meeting with Prime Minister, the Chief Minister said that he was hopeful of positive outcome as Mr. Narendra Modi has assured him that he would resolve all the issues raised during the meeting on priority. He pointed out that Punjab has been immensely benefitted with the change of guard at centre as the BJP led NDA government has already gifted it with prestigious projects like AIIMS, IIM, Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research besides giving Heritage status to holy city Amritsar and including three cities of Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar under ‘Smart City’ project. Mr. Badal further said that centre would take an appropriate call on other pending issues with it to the satisfaction of the state government.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has always been advocating the cause of corporate federalism under which more powers for the states have been sought. He said that acceding to this just demand the centre has now accorded more share to the state from the collection of the taxes from the state. Mr. Badal said that the state share from the taxes collected from the state has now been increased from 32% to 42%.Showcasing the unique initiative of state government to impart free education to economically weaker but bright students securing 80% of more marks, the Chief Minister said that the state government has opened six meritorious schools in Jalandhar, Patiala, Amritsar, Bathinda, SAS Nagar and Ludhiana to impart free education to such students. Now the state government was opening three more such schools at Ferozepur, Sangrur and Gurdaspur.
Highlighting the significance of these schools, the Chief Minister said Punjab would impart free boarding and lodging facilities to the bright students securing more than 80% marks from the government schools. He said that with the starting of these schools quality education would be made available even to the disadvantaged and weaker sections of society. Mr. Badal said that these schools would be a big boon to the students from the downtrodden strata of society as they would be able to compete with their convent educated peers after getting education in these schools. Similarly taking giant leaps in the higher education sector, the state government had set up 12 universities and 17 colleges.
On the other hand delivering keynote address at the Babehalli Chinjh, Mr. Badal said that it has been the unique trait of the Punjabis that though they have subjected to discrimination, historically or politically but they have crossed all the adverse circumstances and made their presence felt at the national and international level. The concerted efforts of the SAD-BJP regime in the last 8 years have borne fruits as the Punjab State has been advancing in each sphere.Chief parliamentary Secretary Mr. Gurbachan Singh Babehali, Ex-MLA Mr. Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal, Special Principal Secretary, CM, Mr. Ajoy Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Abhinav Trikha, Advocate Amarjot Singh Babehali etc.