Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced that recruitment process for 1,13 lakh posts in various departments would start in next 15 days, which would be completed in next 3 months.Badal was interacting with media persons after addressing a huge rally of farmers to launch free health insurance scheme for farmers to distribute 11 lakh cards to farmers, which would enable them for free treatment upto Rs. 50000 in 403 empanelled hospitals across the state. He informed that Punjab Government had already approved 1.13 lakh vacancies in all major departments besides setting the target to provide skill training to more than 1 lakh youth each year by opening 2000 skill training centers especially in rural areas.Castigating the AAP convener Arvind Kejriwals on sensitive issues like SYL and Piao, Deputy CM said both the issues has proved his anti Punjab stand who have nothing to do with the problems being faced by Punjabis but only to capture the power by defaming the state on all fronts.
Mr. Badal said “How the people of Punjab can believe Kejriwal who always changes his position on sensitive issues according to the listeners and place”. He said the Punjab Government has taken a historic decision by giving back the acquired land for SYL to the owners as Punjab has not even a single drop of extra water to share with other states.Deputy CM has also announced that interest free loan schemes for farmers and students would be implemented in a month as the state government had already approved both the plans. He said that in a major move to bail out the farming community from agrarian crisis, the Punjab Government would provide interest free crop loan of Rs. 50 thousand on each crop to the farmers. The other major feature of the scheme includes easy return of loan in installments after the procurement of crops as per the season.
Talking about strengthening of basic infrastructure in the state, he said after making the Punjab a first power surplus state, now the state government has set the target to connect all major cities with 4-6 lanes with an investment of Rs. 22,000 crore. Besides this, Punjab would provide 100 percent water supply and sewerage facilities in all the towns.Prominent among others present on the occasion included CPS Pawan Kumar Tinu, MLA Sarwan Singh Phillaur and Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Chairman district planning committee Gurcharan Singh Channi, president doaba zone youth Akali Dal Sarbjot Singh Sabhi, Bibi Gurdev Kaur Sangha, Commissioner Harbhupinder Singh Nanda, DIG Rajinder Singh, DC KK.Yadav, SSP Rural Harmohan Singh.