Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal today said that the successive Congress led Union governments have meted out step motherly treatment with Punjab by meddling in its social, political, economic and even religious affairs.Addressing a gathering after inaugurating Vocational Training institute of Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO) here today, the Chief Minister said that the state has always remained a victim of the discriminatory and apathetic attitude of the Congress led Centre governments which have adversely affected the prospects of its overall development. He lamented that it was unfortunate that the state which had played a pivotal role in making the country self reliant in food production have been wrongly denied its capital, legitimate share in the river waters and even the Punjabi speaking areas outside the state, by the Union government. Mr Badal said that the worst thing was that rather then solving these issues the Union government has made them more complex by lingering it over for a long period of time. Badal said that not only this under a well planned but veiled conspiracy the Union government has broken the backbone of our economy firstly through ruining our industry by extending industrial concessions to neighboring states and secondly by hiking the input of cost of agricultural thereby squeezing the profits of beleaguered peasantry of the state and putting them on the verge of economic disaster. The Chief Minister said that the net effect of all these discriminatory policies of the Congress was that Punjab which was once considered as most prosperous and advanced state of the country has now lagged behind in many sectors.Terming the Congress party as number one enemy of the state, Mr Badal said that Punjabis could never forgive it for the sins committed with the state. He further said that the rejection of Congress candidates in the state assembly elections concluded early this year by the wise voters of state was an ample proof that the dubious face of this anti-Punjab party has been exposed before the people.Making a scathing attack on the UPA government for its anti-poor and pro rich policies, the Chief Minister said that it was paradoxical situation that the Congress which claims to be the votary of common man was in reality helping the big companies to mint the money illegally by safeguarding their interests in a clandestine manner. He said that it was shameful that instead of serving the people the Congress leaders sitting at coveted positions were plundering the tax payer’s money by indulging in corrupt practices. Mr Badal further said that neck deep in corruption; the Union Ministers of UPA government has amassed huge wealth, which could have duly helped in ensuring development of the country for coming several decades. He said that due to rampant corruption and misdeeds the tenure of UPA government has virtually became a synonym of scams and scandals, which have become the order of the day.Reiterating the commitment of the state government to impart vocational training to the youth, the Chief Minister said that the state government has decided to open five Multi Skill Development Centres in collaboration with Germany based GIZ company which would impart employment to One lakh youth over a period of four years. He further said that the government has also opened several small technical institutes in the state to provide skilled training to the unemployed youth especially as per the needs of the local industry. Mr Badal said that it was the bounden duty of the government to impart training to the unemployed youth so that they could be gainfully employed adding that all these efforts of the state government would help in producing 5 lakh skilled youth in the coming years.Reiterating the commitment of state government to eradicate the menace of cancer from the state the Chief Minister said that in order to provide world class treatment to cancer patients an ultra modern hospital on the lines of Tata Cancer hospital Mumbai would come up soon at Mullanpur near Chandigarh. Likewise he said that the Baba Farid Health University has opened a centre at Faridkot for diagnosing cancer and another would be opened soon at Bathinda for which Rs 60 crore has been already allotted to them by the state government.
Addressing the gathering Lok Sabha MP from Bathinda Mrs Harsimrat Kaur Badal termed the UPA government as the most corrupt government in the history of Indian polity. She said that the UPA government has surpassed all the records of corruption and the countrymen were fed up due to the open loot of public money by its Ministers. Mrs Badal said that the people of the country were waiting for the forthcoming general elections to teach this anti-people government a lesson by routing it out from the political map of the country. She said that the SAD-BJP alliance would win all the 13 Lok Sabha seats of the state thereby paving way for the constitution of the NDA government at the centre. Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mr Sarup Chand Singla, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr KJS Cheema and Mayor Mr Baljeet Singh.