Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today exhorted the people to join hands with the state government for making concerted efforts for social, economic and human resource development of the state. Addressing the gathering during a cultural function organized by Shaheed Baba Jiwan Singh Samaj Bhalai Sabha here today, the Chief Minister said that the state was confronting a number of problems today but the state government was making concerted efforts for steering Punjab out of them to make it a frontrunner state in the country. He said that on the one hand social problems like drugs, degradation in position of women and others needed dire attention whereas on the other environmental pollution was also a major concern, for which people must support the state government.
Badal said that need of the hour was to embark a campaign for eradicating these menaces from the state. Underscoring the need of imparting skill training, the Chief Minister said that it was urgently required for the overall economic development of all the sections of society. He said that apart from skill training the state government was also focusing on encouraging allied farm sectors in the state to supplement the income of farmers for bailing them out of the agrarian crisis.The Chief Minister said that the state government has been making stupendous efforts for wiping out drug menace from the state and massive steps have been taken to cut its supply line. He said that apart from cracking down heavily on drug peddlers the state government has also taken initiatives of setting up drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centers for the drug addicts. Likewise, Mr. Badal said that as unemployment was the biggest reason of drug addiction so a network of skill centers was being set up for enabling the youth to get self employed.
Likewise, the Chief Minister said that in order to tackle the problem of environmental degradation due to burning of paddy straw, the state government was giving maximum subsidy on ultra modern straw choppers for overcoming this grave problem.The Chief Minister further said that path breaking initiatives have been taken by the state government for perpetuating the glorious history of the state for our coming generations. He said that work was on progress for the construction of ‘Jang-e-Azaadi’ Memorial to showcase Punjab’s role in national freedom struggle at Kartarpur over 25 Acres at a cost of Rs. 250 crore. Likewise, Mr. Badal said that project on Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal Amritsar has already started. Earlier the Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for construction of Diwan Hall at Gurdwara Sahib in village Gurusar Jodha. The Chief Minister was accompanied by Chairman Punjab Agro Food grains Corporation Jathedar Dyal Singh Kolianwali, Chairman Mr. Tejinder Singh Middukhera, Mr. Mandeep Singh Pappi Tarmala and Mr. Harmesh Singh Khuddian.