Marking a red letter day in the history of Punjab, the Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today inaugurated the newly civil air terminal at Bathinda airport and flight for Delhi-Bathinda-Delhi sector in the presence Deputy Chief Minister, S. Sukhbir Singh Badal and Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal .Addressing a huge crowd on the occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the inauguration of this airport has brought Bathinda on the world map with fanfare. He also said that the industry would get a gigantic boost with the commencement of flights from the airport. He also divulged that various industrial houses would set up their units here eventually leading to the increasing of employment avenues for the youth of the region.Revealing more, S. Badal said that the Adampur airport has also been approved and the ones at Ludhiana and Pathankot would also soon see the light of the day. He also disclosed that the Delhi -Amritsar -Birmingham flight has also been accorded sanction by the Union Government which would prove beneficial to the people wanting to board direct flight from Amritsar to Birmingham.
The Deputy Chief Minister further said that Bathinda has witnessed revolutionary transformation during the past 10 years in each sector particularly the development of roads and it is all due to the sincere efforts of the SAD-BJP government. He also said that the aviation sector in the state has been on the upswing under the leadership of Chief Minister, S. Parkash Singh Badal with a string of airports established or in the process of being established. In another important announcement, the Deputy Chief Minister informed that the foundation stone of a factory to make oil from the residue of crops would be laid soon enough. He said that factory would come up at a cost of Rs. 500 crore and would put a stop to the trend of setting the crop residue to fire. He also divulged that this would lead to decrease in pollution and benefit every farmer by Rs. 5000 per acre.Lambasting AAP Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, the Deputy Chief Minister said that first and foremost the AAP leader should put a stop to his flip-flop over the SYL issue and spell out his clear stand on the issue.The Deputy Chief Minister thanked the Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal for making painstaking efforts to turn this dream into reality.
In her address on the occasion, the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that ever since the NDA government has taken over since last 2 years, Bathinda has occupied prime importance in the scheme of things of the Union Government. The Union Minister also said that the coming of Central University, AIIMS and the airport to Bathinda have acted as game changers for the region. She also expressed supreme confidence that the top standard rail, road and air connectivity would make Bathinda an important trade and commercial centre. The Union Minister also batted for the need to make Bathinda an agricultural, cargo, medical, entertainment and sports hub so as to be a role model in terms of development at both National and International level.Castigating Congress, Mrs. Badal said that this party did nothing for either Bathinda or Punjab during it's tenure and it was only under the SAD-BJP government since 2007 that the state has witnessed prosperous days.Among others present on the occasion included Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Punjab Sikander Singh Maluka, District President BJP Mohit Gupta, Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori, SSP Swapan Sharma and others.