Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that due to the concerted efforts of the state government, Punjab would become a Power Surplus state by the end of this year.Addressing a mammoth gathering after inaugurating the newly upgraded 220 KW Power Grid here today, the Chief Minister that when the state government had assumed power in the year 2007, Punjab was Power deficit by 30% as their predecessors had never bothered to augment the Power supply. However he said that realizing well that Power was the engine of growth in any economy the SAD-BJP government has taken unprecedented steps to enhance power generation in the state for which three thermal Power plants with a capacity of 3920 MW were under construction. Mr. Badal said that these power plants would be commissioned soon after which Punjab would become the power surplus state of the country by the December this year.
The Chief Minister further said that the day was not far away when instead of incurring heavy expenditure on purchasing the power, the state government would be in a capacity to sell the power to other states. However he said that the need of the hour was to check the transmission losses for which unprecedented steps have been taken by the state government. Mr. Badal also lauded the role of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in making the state Power Surplus.
Lashing out at the Union Government, the Chief Minister said that the anti-farmer’s stance of the Centre has ruined the farmer of the state, who had played a vanguard role in making the country self reliant in food production by exhausting its only available natural resources in the form of soil and water. He said that due to the wrong policies of the Centre the farmers of the state were reeling under a whopping debt of Rs 30000 crore. Mr. Badal said that if the state government had not extended a helping hand to the farmers of state by giving them free power worth Rs 5700 crore then they would have been completely vanished.
Terming the meager compensation given to the flood victims of the state as a cruel joke with them, the Chief Minister said that he had raised the matter of hiking this relief with the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister but of no avail. He categorically said that none of the Union minister had ever bothered to visit the state to give any grant or project to it. Rather he said that the Union government was depriving the state of its legitimate right by blocking the grants on pretext of photographs pasted on Ambulances.The Chief Minister said that the ceasing of grants by the UPA government reflected the myopic outlook of the Congress leaders adding that the state Congress leadership has always acted as stumbling block in the progress of the state. However Mr. Badal said that the Congress leaders owe an explanation to the countrymen as to why every central scheme was named after their leaders. He said that these schemes on the name of Congress leaders were arbitrarily imposed on the states, who were left with no other choice then implementing it.
Later on interacting with the media persons, the Chief Minister said that rather than worrying about the fiscal condition of the state, the Punjab Congress leaders must introspect and look into the deplorable economic condition of the country under the UPA regime. Mr. Badal said that the dwindling position of our Rupee against the Dollar reflected the poor state of economy in the country. He said that even the Union Ministers have admitted about the poor financial condition of the country but the state Congress leaders were misleading the people by unleashing a malicious propaganda regarding the economic condition of state, which was very sound.The Chief Minister said that due to the stupendous efforts of the state government Punjab was today leading the country in the field of education, as per the report of the Government of India (GoI). Likewise he said that despite of adverse circumstances Punjab has emerged as the third most preferred investment destination of the country according to a recent report of the Reserve Bank Of India (RBI).
Acceding to the demand made by the local MLA Justice (Retd.) Nirmal Singh, the Chief Minister said that the town would soon have Administrative and Judicial complexes. He also announced a grant of Rs 15 lakh for the construction of a community hall in the town. Mr. Badal also asked the officers to explore the possibility of installing an Astro Turf in the town. The Chief Minister was accompanied by MLA Justice (Retd.) Nirmal Singh, former MP Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, former MLA Mr. Didar Singh Bhatti, his Special Principal Secretary Mr. KJS Cheema and Deputy Commissioner Mr. Arun Sekhri.