Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Government of India to constitute a high level panel with representation of progressive farmers, agriculture experts and policy makers to revamp the sagging agrarian economy in the country and suggest ways and means to put it on the strong pedestal, which was the need of the hour otherwise the national economy on the whole would be in tatters.Addressing the mammoth gathering here on the foundation laying ceremony of the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM), the Chief Minister said that there was utter disappointment amongst the peasantry due to unviable agriculture policies of the successive Congress governments at centre, which forced them to give away this profession leaving them in lurch. He said it was extremely deplorable situation, when our farmers who heralded Green Revolution in 1960s and made our country self reliant in food production were now committing suicides. He sought Union Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley’s immediate intervention to come out with a concrete policy to bring an end to the agrarian crisis forever. Mr. Badal hoped that the IIM would also prove to be a mentor for the state to rechristen its agriculture policies for the betterment of the farmers.
Lambasting the Congress for apathetic attitude towards Punjab, Mr. Badal said that Congress was ever inimical for the all round development of the state and prosperity of its people. He blamed the UPA led Congress government to ruin our state socially, economically and politically through its anti state policies. He recalled that the financial incentives to the industry of adjoining hill states of Uttrakhand, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh led to mass exodus of local industry from Punjab to other states, which he termed as an irreversible loss which could never be compensated. Mr. Badal urged the Union Minister to consider state atleast for industrial package exclusively for border districts if not possible for the entire state. Mr. Badal also impressed upon the Union Finance Minister to grant a special financial package for the people of border districts, who had been severely hit by the partition and were passing through tiring circumstances. He mentioned the then Deputy Prime Minister in the NDA government Mr. LK Advani had given special compensation to the farmers for undertaking farming in their fields across the border fence. He also sought special funds for the rejuvenation of Upar Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) from Centre, which was in dilapidated condition as its water carrying capacity had been alarmingly reduced.
The Chief Minister enumerated the major initiatives taken by the state government for bringing Punjab at the new heights of glory in Education sector. He said that the SAD-BJP alliance government had added 13 more universities from merely four besides adding 30 new colleges against already existing 48 to make our state as a hub of higher education. Likewise, Mr. Badal also listed the steps initiated by the state government to preserve the glorious cultural heritage of the state by setting up Jang-e-Azaadi Memorial near Jalandhar, Bhagwan Valmiki Temple cum Panorama centre and War Heroes Memorial at Amritsar and Guru Ravidass Memorial at Khuralgarh in Hoshiarpur district. He said that Punjab has been ranked by the Government of India (GoI) amongst top performing states in Education infrastructure thereby capturing third slot from 14th since alliance government came to power.In his address the Union Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley termed the academic institutes like IIM, IIT and others as the engines of growth and prosperity in the country. He said that Punjab was fortunate that during the two years span of Modi government holy city was given IIM and Ropar was allotted IIT, which would give major boost to the ongoing development of the state. Mr. Jaitley said that such institutes provide much needed eco-system for the economic development of any region.Expressing concern over the dwindling farm income and its share in national GDP, the Union Minister said that agriculture today was difficult preposition as though 55% of population was dependent on agriculture but its share in GDP was merely 15%. Citing the examples of Asian giants like Taiwan, Vietnam and others, he said that the need of hour was to impart quality education and increase the share of industry in the national economy along with boosting agriculture. “This will help in ensuring a balanced and holistic economic growth of the country” added Mr. Jaitley.
Lauding the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister for ensuring unprecedented development in the state, the Union Minister said that Punjab was changing its glorious face with every passing day. He said that the SAD-BJP alliance government has been constantly giving facelift to state by initiating one project or another. “Every time during my visit to the state I see a new Punjab emerging from dedication and hard work of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister” added Mr. Jaitley.Lauding the setting up meritorious schools in the state, the Union Minister said that these schools were proving to be a boon for imparting quality education to the poor students in the state. He said that this unique experiment could be replicated by the Union government in the country to improve the quality of education in the government schools.
Earlier in his address, the Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal thanked Union Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitely and Union Human Resource Development Minister Ms. Smriti Zubin Irani for setting up IIM in Amritsar. Lauding the Finance Minister Mr. Jaitely’s soft corner for Punjab, Mr. Badal said that being the Finance Minister of India Mr. Jaitely has always accorded due importance to the state by taking a number of favourable decisions like setting aside Rs. 100 Crore in the budget for the celebrations of 350th Birth Anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh ji and allotting AIMS, IIM and horticultural institute to the state.Describing NDA government at centre and SAD-BJP government in the state as an golden opportunity for the people, Mr. Badal said that Punjab was getting maximum support from the Union government may it be getting world level institutes or road projects worth Rs. 20,000 crores. He said that few months back Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Mr. Nitin Gadkari has came to Punjab to give world class road projects to state and it was only possible because there is SAD-BJP government in state and NDA government at Centre. He said that Punjab always got best support from union government whenever there was NDA government in the centre whereas Congress led union governments always did step motherly treatment with the state.
Stating that Punjab witnessed maximum development during chief ministerial tenures of Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy CM said that state got all airports including Amritsar Airport, thermal power projects and pro people welfare policies only under the able administration of Mr. Parkash Singh Badal. He said that SAD-BJP government not only ensured 24 hour power supply in the state but also made Punjab the first state to initiate welfare schemes like Atta-Dal, Shagun, Pension, Health Insurance for under privileged sections of the society besides providing free power to farmers and medical insurance to all the hardworking people of the state.
Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal appealed the people of state to support the development oriented mission of SAD-BJP alliance by completely rejecting the parties like Congress and Aam Admi Party. He said that Congress has always opted anti state and anti Sikh policies besides attacking the Gurdwaras. He said that even AAP has followed the footsteps of Congress by demolishing Piau Sahib at historic Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Delhi. He appealed the people of the state to reject all such parties which have no vision or sympathy for the state.In her address Union HRD Minister Ms. Smriti Irani lauded the stellar role of state government in imparting quality education to the students. She hoped that IIM Amritsar would be instrumental in giving impetus to education sector in the state. She also announced the scheme of consolidation of schools thereby attaching schools with deficit staff with those having full strength of faculty to impart proper education to pupils.
In his address Union Minister of state and state BJP chief Mr. Vijay Sampla said that during two years of NDA rule the country has witnessed revolutionary progress in every field. He said that there was complete coordination between the centre and state government which was acting as a catalyst in development of the state and welfare of its people. Thanking Mr. Jaitley for giving IIM to state, he said whenever the Union Finance Minister has visited the state he had given a number of gifts to state. Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Union Food Processing Minister Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Cabinet Ministers Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia, Jathedar Tota Singh, Mr Surjit Singh Rakhra, Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike and Mr. Anil Joshi, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mr. Amarpal Singh Bony Ajnala, Mr. KD Bhandari and Mr. Manjeet Singh Mianwind , MLAs Mr. Ravinder Singh Brahmpura, Mr. Baljeet Singh Jalal Usma and Mr. Manoranjan Kalia, Union Minister of state Mr. Upinder Kushwaha, National General Secretary BJP and incharge Punjab affairs Mr. Prabhat Jha, Rajya Sabha MP Mr. Shwet Malik, Chairman Youth Akali Dal Majha Zone Mr. Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon, Chief Secretary Mr. Sarvesh Kaushal and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. SK Sandhu.