Terming that some forces inimical to the peace and progress of the state were hell bent upon disturbing its hard earned peace and prosperity, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today exhorted the people of state to thwart any such attempt collectively.Addressing the gatherings during Sangat Darshan programme at Khadoor Sahib, Goindwal Sahib, Bharowal and Fatehabad villages in Khadoor Sahib Assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that Punjab had suffered a major setback during black days of militancy but due to the massive efforts of the SAD-BJP alliance government state was put on the path of high growth trajectory. However, he said that unfortunately some forces vary to the development of the state were again trying to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of the state. Mr. Badal said that the state government was duty-bound to prevent such forces from raising their ugly head.
However, the Chief Minister urged the people of state to not fall prey to divisive agenda of such forces and foil their nefarious designs. He said that public support was the basic necessity to promote the ethos of communal harmony, peace and amity in the state. “I assure you that with your pro-active support and fulsome cooperation we will not allow any force to push our state again into turbulent times”, added Mr. Badal.Describing Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar Captain Amarinder Singh as a chronic turncoat, the Chief Minister said that people of state could hardly believe his (Amarinder Singh) credentials as a strong willed politician as he had frequently shifted his loyalty from one party to another throughout his entire political career. Mr. Badal quipped, “How anyone could rely on Captain Amarinder Singh?” He said Amarinder Singh was once a sworn Akali was now desperately flexing muscles to take over as the President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC). His ploy of ‘politics of opportunism’ has already done enormous damage to the state polity in general and Sikhs in particular. However, Mr. Badal said that people of state had already rejected Captain twice and he was sadly mistaken that they would repose trust in him in the near future.
Dwelling the agenda of Sadbhawna rallies being organized by the state government before the people, the Chief Minister said that there was no political motive behind these rallies. Rather, he said that the sole aim of holding these rallies was to ensure peace, brotherhood and harmony in the state. “We are committed for preserving these high ideals and Sadbhawna rallies were a right step towards attaining this goal”, he added.Slamming the entire opposition for conspiring to derail the progress of the state, the Chief Minister said that these parties have done nothing tangible for safeguarding the interests of the state or its people. He said that these parties were now shedding crocodile tears over the issues to gain political mileage from it. However, Mr. Badal said that wise people of Punjab would not get swayed away by this malicious propaganda because they know that only SAD-BJP alliance had stood by them in their every thick and thin.
Listing the major achievements of the state government, the Chief Minister said that due to the concerted efforts of the state government Punjab was today a power surplus state. He said that the state government was concerned for each and every strata of the society due to which recently the Cabinet has decided to double the pensions given to people under the social security schemes besides hiking the honorarium of the Nambardars. Likewise, Mr. Badal said that in a pro-poor initiative to provide far better health care services to economically weaker sections of the society to further improve their quality of life, the Cabinet has decided to enhance the existing limit of free treatment in government and private hospitals to nearly 28.50 lakh blue card holders from Rs 30,000 under ‘Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Beema Yojna’ to Rs 50,000 annually.
The Chief Minister said that apart from this in case of accidental death or incapacitation of a head of registered family under this scheme, the affected family would get compensation of Rs.5 lakh. Mr. Badal said that all the farmers would be provided a health insurance cover of Rs.50,000 and an insurance of Rs.5 lac in case of accidental death or incapacitation of head of family. He said that a novel scheme ‘Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme’ for providing free pilgrimage to sacred cities of Sri Nanded Sahib, Varanasi, Katra (Mata Vaishno Devi) and Ajmer Sharif has been started under which state government would organize free trains to these cities for the people from Punjab and also provide other logistic facilities to pilgrims. Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Lok Sabha MP Jathedar Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Chairman District Planning Committee Mr. Ravinder Singh Brahmpura, Special Principal Secretaries to Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema and Mr. Ajoy Kumar Sharma, Inspector General of Police Mr. Lok Nath Angra, Deputy Inspector General of Police Kunwar Vijay Pratap and Deputy Commissioner Mr. BS Dhaliwal.