Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that despite of being a border state, Punjab, was today one of the most peaceful state in the country. Addressing a religious congregation to mark the 90th birth anniversary of Jain Saint Sri Hem Kunwar Ji Maharaj here today, the Chief Minister said that the topmost priority of their government from the day one of assuming office had been to maintain communal harmony, peace and amity in the state at every cost. He said that the state government has remained successful in this endeavor with the active support of the people, as no single incident of communal violence has been registered during the regime of SAD-BJP government despite of the fact that most of the other states of the country were facing this problem. Mr. Badal, while reiterating the firm commitment of the state government to maintain peace and amity in Punjab, said that no one would be ever allowed to disturb the hard earned peace in the state.
Terming the promotion of communal harmony, peace, amity and brotherhood as the biggest achievement of the state government, the Chief Minister said that it has further helped in ushering in a new era of unprecedented development in the state. He said that due to all these factors, Punjab has today figured amongst the top three most preferred investment destinations of the country as per the report of the Reserve Bank of India. Likewise Mr. Badal said that the state was today leading the country in the fields of Health and Education adding that the SAD-BJP government would continue to make its concerted efforts to ensure the holistic development of Punjab.
Lashing out at the Union government, the Chief Minister said that the Congress led UPA government has ruined the country which was once known as the ‘Golden Sparrow’ in the world. He said that due to wrong policies of the Union government the country was confronting a large number of social maladies like corruption, unemployment, illiteracy and starvation. Mr Badal said that due to the ill conceived economic policies of the Centre the country’s prestige across the globe has suffered adversely. Recalling the services rendered by Sri Hem Kunwar Ji Maharaj in the field of education, the Chief Minister said that this great spiritual ambassador played a vanguard role in imparting the education in this backward region by setting a number of educational institutions. Likewise Mr. Badal also lauded his role in the service of the mankind.
Later on addressing the gathering at the residence of MLA Malout Mr. Harpreet Singh, the Chief Minister impressed upon the youth to play a pivotal role in the smooth functioning of the Panchayti Raj Institutions. Expressing happiness over the fact that a large number of youth have been elected as the Sarpanchs, members of Block samiti and Zila Parishad, he hoped that they would work hard with utmost dedication and commitment for ensuring the comprehensive development of the villages. Mr. Badal said that the state government was making stupendous efforts to provide world class civic amenities to the villages at par with the urban areas so that people of the rural areas could be benefitted from it. The Chief Minister was accompanied by MLAs Mr. Harpreet Singh Kot Bhai and Mr. Gurtej Singh, Lok Sabha MP Mr. Sher Singh Ghubaya, Chairperson Zila Parishad Sri Muktsar Sahib Mrs. Abneet Kaur, SGPC members Jathedar Dayal Singh Kolianwali, Jathedar Navtej Singh Qauni, Jathedar Bikar Singh and Jathedar Gurpal Singh Gora.