Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today slammed the newly appointed Chief of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa for stooping too low by launching a malicious campaign against the SAD-BJP government just to gain cheap popularity in the media. Talking to the media persons during the concluding day of Sangat Darshan program here today, the Chief Minister dared Mr. Bajwa to shun tirade against alliance government and termed it as canard aimed at tarnishing the sanguine image of the SAD-BJP government, which has the mandate of people and had came to power consecutively for second time on the sole plank of development. He however said that the mounting frustration amongst the senior Congress leadership in the state was evident from the fact that they have been discarded by the people time and again. Mr Badal categorically said that he had never expected PPCC Chief Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa to behave in such a childish manner who deliberately knowing everything has shut his eyes and was issuing half baked statements without verifying the facts.
The Chief Minister said that rather than resorting to mudslinging against the state government the Congress party must behave in a responsible manner and refrain from issuing baseless statements against them. He said all the political gimmicks of the new PPCC Chief were of no use as the people of the state were well aware of the dubious character of the Congress party, which had always adopted anti-Punjab stance. Mr Badal said that criticism for the sake of criticism was undesirable but healthy criticism was always welcomed and advised PPCC Chief to be positive and atleast dare to call spade a spade.
Refuting the allegations of PPCC Chief regarding the politicization of the Police force, the Chief Minister said that this charge was totally unsubstantiated as the Police force was working totally in accordance with the law of the land. He said that all the officers were being appointed in the state on the basis of their merit and seniority with a sole aim to deliver efficient services to the people of the state. Mr Badal said that they had not conducted any new recruitment of the Police officers and most of the top brass was the same, who were holding on key posts during the Congress regime from 2002-2007.
Replying to another query, the Chief Minister pointed out that the Congress leaders were trying to mislead the people of state by making false propaganda regarding the fiscal health of the state. Making a scathing attack on the state Congress leadership, Mr Badal said that they must remember that the debt on the neighboring states of Punjab, including those ruled by the Congress, was much more than it. He said that even the Union government’s economic condition was also not very comfortable as it had a huge fiscal deficit, which was further increasing day by day.
However the Chief Minister said that productive debt for the sake of development was a global phenomena and Punjab was no exception to it. He said that it was on record that the state had witnessed unprecedented development in all the sectors during the last six years of their government. Mr Badal categorically said that due to the stupendous efforts of the state government Punjab today leads the country in the field of education and had been adjudged excellent by an agency of the Government of India (GoI) for excellent infra-structure in the field of Health services.
Holding the ill conceived policies of the Union government responsible for the poor economic conditions of the state, the Chief Minister said that the faulty criteria of the devolution of taxes collected from the states was primarily responsible for it. He said that how could the Congress led Union government justify the fact that it was giving only 32% of the total revenue collected from Punjab back to the state as central grants for carrying out the developmental works. Mr Badal said that due this criterion the states have been reduced to the position of beggars by the Union government adding that to ensure more progress and development of the states they must be made powerful in the economic field.
During the Sangat Darshan program the Chief Minister disbursed grants worth Rs 1.67 crore in the villages Jhandeana (West), Khukrana, Thamanwala, Mangewala, Baghelewala, Sosan, Daddahur, Korewala Khurd and Korewala Kalan.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Lok Sabha Member Mrs. Paramjeet Kaur Gulshan, MLAs Jathedar Tota Singh and Mr. Joginder Pal Jain, senior Akali leader and former DGP Mr PS Gill, Youth Akali Leader Mr. Baljinder Singh Brar, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema and Deputy Commissioner Mr. Arshdeep Singh Thind.