Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal today said that the ‘Chintan Shivar’ of SAD-BJP alliance at Goa would focus on formulating a strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls slated to be held in the year 2014, besides all other issues related to the state.Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of a private social function here today, the Chief Minister said that during the ‘Chintan Shivar’ the alliance partners would not only introspect the working of their government but would also join their heads to strengthen the base of the alliance by overcoming their weaknesses. He said that apart from it the ‘Chintan Shivar’ would also focus on carving out a detailed action plan for the coming general elections so as to rout the Congress out of the state thereby paving way for the formation of the NDA government at the Center.
Badal said that above all during the Shivar the leaders of the alliance would also deliberate upon the steps required to put the state further on the high growth trajectory for ensuring its all-round development thereby fulfilling the dream of ‘New Punjab’. Taking a strong exception on the malicious propaganda of the state Congress leadership regarding the law and order situation in the state, the Chief Minister while equating it to ‘Pot telling the kettle black’ said that before making such baseless statements the Congress leaders including Punjab Congress Chief Mr Partap Singh Bajwa must peep into their conscience to see that the Punjab was much more peaceful then most of the Congress ruled states. He said that the law and order situation was worst in the Congress rules states and no one was safe even in the national capital Delhi where the Congress was at the helms of affairs in state as well as Centre. Mr Badal categorically said that the sole aim of the Congress leaders behind issuing such irrational statements was to get the cheap publicity in the media.
The Chief Minister said that the people of Punjab were aware of the dubious track record of the Congress leaders and their anti-Punjab stance due to which they were hardly paying any heed towards their political gimmicks. Making a scathing attack on the Congress leaders he pointed out that the people have reposed faith in the pro-people and development oriented policies of the alliance time and again by rejecting the pisive agenda of the Congress. Mr Badal said that the wise people of Punjab would never get swayed away by the half baked statements of Congress leaders and would show them a door in the coming Lok Sabha polls.
Replying to a query, the Chief Minister reiterated the commitment of the state government to ensure the development of the rural areas and villages of Punjab by providing them basic civic amenities like potable drinking water, sewerage facility, street lights and others in the coming years. He said that the Punjab government has embarked a major plan in which Rs 1700 crore would be spent for strengthening and upgrading the network of rural roads in the state. Mr Badal said that the state government has been regularly disbursing the funds to the villages through the Rural Development department and the Panchayats to ensure their overall development.
Meanwhile the Chief Minister also asked the Senior Superintendent of Police Sangrur to enquire into the matter of death of a child whose dead body has been recently recovered from Dhuri. The Chief Minister was accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Babu Parkash Chand Garg and MLA Mr Iqbal Singh Jhunda.