Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal emphasized that Punjab is the most peaceful state in the country where the SAD-BJP Government has maintained the communal harmony as a top priority under the leadership of Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal.Addressing the media persons after giving away cash awards to 308 medal winners in national and international games here today at Lovely University, Mr. Badal ridiculed that there was no threat of terrorism in the state as Punjab police have nabbed terrorist modules not only from Punjab but also from abroad. Replying to a question about the proposed domestic flights from Adampur and Halwara defence airports, Mr. Badal said he had met the Union Defence Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar in this regard, besides appointing a senior officer at New Delhi to pursue the proposal submitted by the Punjab Government to the Union Ministry.
Talking about the uniformity in VAT on petroleum products in Northern states, the Deputy Chief Minister said it had already decided in principal by Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and UT Chandigarh few months ago to fix uniform VAT on diesel and petrol in adjoining states to check evasion of taxes and oil smuggling. Calling the people to give a befitted reply to the “defame Punjab campaign” launched by the congress Vice President Mr. Rahul Gandhi and others, he said Punjab was fighting national as well as international war on drugs and not a single gram drug is being produced in Punjab.He asked to raise voice against the congress who was indulged in false propaganda to gain their political mileage. Answering a question about the rallies organized by former chief minister Captain Amrinder Singh, Mr. Badal said “he has only fighting for personal goals to capture the captaincy of PPCC from Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa and his program has nothing to do with the common people of the state”.
Taking a dig at the opposition for raising hue and cry over the promises made by SAD-BJP government, Mr Badal said “I believe in “think big and achieve big”. He said “when I had made a promise that Punjab would be the first power surplus state about 4 years ago than the opposition parties made it a matter of joke but today we can proudly say that Punjab has archived its target” adding he said in next 8 months Punjab would have 5000 MW surplus power. He further said that now the next target was fixed to connect all major cities with 4/6 lanes with investment of Rs. 20,000 crore in next 2 years which mainly includes 4/6 laning of Ludhiana-Chandigarh,Jalandhar-Chandigarh, Jalandhar-Moga and Amritsar-Bathinda. He said all these projects would witness implementation on ground in next 2 months as tender process has already been set in. Calling the people to be a proud in being Punjabi, the Deputy chief minister said the Punjab has achieved development in uniform way in rural and urban infrastructure as against the partial development of cities only in other states. Mr. Badal has also announced that Punjab would provide 100 % sewerage, water supply, streets lighting facilities in all 150 towns of the state at a cost of Rs. 4000 crore.