Chandigarh March 9: The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today called for a decisive end to confrontationist politics in the State

Chandigarh March 9: The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today called for a decisive end to confrontationist politics in the State and said that issues of people’s concern and development alone should constitute the economic and political agenda of the parties.

Winding up the discussion on motion of thanks for the Governor’s address in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here this afternoon, Mr, Badal said, “ Politics of confrontation and vendetta harmed the interests of the people and the cause of development in the State for five years. We have taken the concrete steps to steer the state away from the atmosphere of unseemly confrontation, vendetta and bitterness. Our initiative definitely drew a positive response from the Opposition in the beginning, restoring social bonds and political decency in the State,” said the Chief Minister.

Parkash Singh Badal however, regretted that ‘ certain elements in the Congress had a vested stake in carrying on with confrontation and vendetta politics because they had neither political ideology on economic agenda nor commitment to the cause of Punjab and Punjabis. Their sole claim to political relevance lay in foul mouthing their opponents, both within their own party and outside, not sparing even a friendly cricket match between the legislators belonging to the ruling party and the Opposition. ‘ One wonders where such elements had picked up their social etiquette from ?’ wondered the Chief Minister.

Describing Punjab as an oasis of peace, Mr. Badal said, “I count the preservation of peace, communal harmony and Punjabi unity as the biggest achievement of my life, Even if he have to lay down my life in the defense of this cause, I would consider it a small price to pay for the interest of the State and its people,” said the Chief Minister in a voice choked with emotion.

The Chief Minister made a strong plea for federalism in the country and said that only strong states could ensure a strong India. He said that the top-down approach to development had already failed and the whole planning process needed to be decentralized. He said that the State Governments were in the best position to understand, address and resolve the problems of the people of their areas.” Therefore, the formulae for allocation of central funds and the power to make plans for region-based problems must be decentralized in favour of States. Similarly, he said, the States must get bigger share out of Central funds and those contributing the most to the Central kitty must get the biggest share.’

The Chief Minister urged the Centre to end territorial, economic and political discrimination against Punjab. “ Chandigarh which was built as the Capital of Punjab must be transferred to the parent state along with the other Punjabi speaking areas.” he said.

Declaring that “Punjab did not have single drop of river water to spare for any other state,” Mr. Badal said that the injustice done to the State with regard to ‘ Riparian Principle’ should be removed immediately.

The Chief Minister further said that Industrial concessions given to Punjab’s neighbouring States had resulted in major economic problems for the State. Industry in Punjab has been hit hard by the concessions given to Himachal Pardesh J&K and Uttaranchal and there had been a flight of capital from the State. We are not against the concessions being given to other States but we demand that such concessions should be extended to Punjab also especially as it is a land-locked state, with a live and hostile international border. No other state deserve these concessions better than Punjab,” said the Chief Minister.

Dwelling on the pathetic condition of the Punjabi farmers and farm labour, Mr. Badal asked the Government of India to waive their entire outstanding debt and fresh loans to them be provided at an interest of 4%. He also advocated MSP should be fixed to provide a margin of 50% over the cost of production as recommended by the National Farmers Commission headed by Dr M.S. Swaminathan.

He lamented that Punjab got only a notional relief of just 1.5% out of the total debt relief of Rs. 71,000 crore. Despite the limited financial resources at its disposal, the State Government had recently announced a compensation of Rs. 2 lac each to the next of the kin of the farmer or khet mazdoor who were driven to commit suicide.

The estimated total debt on Punjab farmers is about Rs. 26000 crores which comes to more than 2.5 lac per farming family. The Chief Minister also blamed the Centre for step motherly treatment being meted out to our farming community as agriculture was primarily under its control. He pointed out that the price of inputs required for agriculture like diesel, fertilizers were not only controlled by Centre but even the MSP of the food grain and agricultural commodities were also fixed by the Union Government. "Over the past many years, the Centre has not increased the prices of food grains in proportion to the increase in price of agriculture inputs like diesel, fertilizers, machinery, insecticides, pesticides and other consumer goods resulting in utter exploitation of the beleaguered peasantry," rued Mr. Badal. He said both the State Government and the farmers were helpless due to its stance of anti Kisan and Khet Mazdoor policies which led to the heavy indebtedness of the farmers.

On the power front, Mr. Badal said that his Government was fully committed to make Punjab a power surplus State. He pointed out that the present total installed capacity was 6859 MW and total demand was 9000 MW resulting in a shortfall 2241 MW. In last two years additional capacity of 658 MW has been added. A major investment initiative worth Rs. 36,000 Crore had been undertaken to generate additional power of 12044MW by setting up 4 thermal plants at Goindwal Sahib (540 MW), Talwandi Sabo (1980 MW), Rajpura (1320 MW) and Giddarbaha (2640 MW), besides long term power purchase agreement with other Central Sector projects in 11^th Plan (2539 MW), power from Ultra Mega projects to be set up in 11^th Plan (2225 MW) and projected production from biomass, small hydro, co-generation (800 MW). An amount of Rs. 5600 Crore would be spent over next 5 years to reduce transmission and distribution losses. A major initiative of the government to introduce the C.F.L. bulbs in the state had resulted in saving of 640 MW. Mr. Badal also mentioned that the tubewell connections were being given on priority to small and marginal farmers having land upto 5 acres, farmers in water logged and Kandi areas and whose land was across border fence and river Ravi.

The Chief Minister further said that in a bid to inject a major fillip into an economically resurgent Punjab's road infrastructure, the state government had planned to invest more than Rs 25,000 crore into a slew of projects aimed at improving the efficiency of road transport network. As a part of this major programme the state government has unveiled its plan to construct "3-Greenfield Expressways," connecting Mohali to Phagwara, around Mohali (Lalru-Baddi) and the Pathankot-Ajmer expressway. The Mohali-Phagwara expressway would have several world class features including a design Speed of 120 kmph which will reduce travel time from 2 ½ hrs at present to about 1 hr between these strategically located towns of Punjab. The Lalru on NH-22 and Baddi on NH – 21A would also be connected with this Expressway.

Mr. Badal also pointed out that a similar expressway facility would also come up along the Sidhwan canal to begin the process of traffic modernization in the industrial hub of the state, Ludhiana. This 4-lanned partially access-controlled expressway along the left bank of the Sidhwan Canal would start from Doraha (at NH-1) and culminates at Ferozpur Road (NH-95) in Ludhiana City.

It may be mentioned that the Congress government invested Rs.3006 Crores on the upgradation of road infrastructure in 5 years (2002-07) while the SAD-BJP government had spent Rs.3019 Crores in just 2 years.

The SAD-BJP government during its tenure of just two years was poised for spectacular development and growth in the field of Civil Aviation with the setting up of a Mohali International Airport and another Greenfield International Airport near Ludhiana over 3000 acres of land at an investment of about 17000 crores with Private developers in partnership with Changi International Airport Singapore-One of the best in the world. Defence and Civil Aviation authorities had already issued 'No Objection Certificate' to the State Government in this behalf. Strenuous efforts were afoot to undertake further expansion of Amritsar International Airport and to seek clearance for the upgradation of Civil Airport at Sahnewal near Ludhiana expeditiously from the Ministry of Civil Aviation on the pattern of Civil Enclave, Bathinda. The government has also secured approval for setting up of two flying academies one at Talwandi Sabo and another at Faridkot to impart training in flying to our youth to become commercial Pilots, which were in keen demand world over.

As a major initiative to revamp the 125 years old canal network in the state which was functioning at 20% less capacity, the SAD-BJP Government has undertaken an ambitious Irrigation Infrastructure Development Programme at a cost of Rs.3566 crores to rejuvenate and improve the Canal system, checking water logging and for lining of field channels. Sheet Lining of Rajasthan and Sirhind Canal has already been undertaken at a cost of Rs. 1261 crores to prevent the seepage. It may be recalled that the previous government had spent Rs.965 crore only in 5 years as compared to huge budgetary allocation of nearly Rs.5000 crores by the SAD-BJP government in just 2 years.

Punjab is all set for a major leap in the field of Higher Education with the state government signing a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian School of Business (ISB) Hyderabad and four Founder Supporters-key player in Indian industry viz the Hero Group, the Bharti Group, the Punj Lloyd and Ranbaxy to establish second campus of ISB at Knowledge City, Mohali. The campus will be constructed on 70 acres of land with an investment of Rs. 250 crore.

The SAD-BJP government had also secured one Central University to be come up at Bathinda over an area of 500 acres and another world class University at Amritsar over 700 acres at a cost of approximately Rs.1600 crores besides a prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Ropar with its mentor IIT, Delhi to be constructed at a cost of Rs.1000 crores. The National Institute of Studies in Guru Granth Sahib has already started functioning from the campus of Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar.

On the pro-poor initiatives, Punjab is probably the first state in the country to launch Atta-Dal Scheme to provide Wheat at Rs.4 per kg and Dal at Rs.20 per kg to approximately 13.5 lac families at a cost of Rs.400 per annum. The government has also enhanced the amount of Shagun Scheme from Rs.5100 to Rs.15000 given as a financial grant to Scheduled Castes/Christian girls at the time of their marriage. An amount of Rs. 40 crores have been spent during the year 2008-09 to cover 26666 such beneficiaries and an amount of Rs. 71 crores has been proposed to cover 47080 beneficiaries during the year 2009-10.

The SAD-BJP government has since created a Social Security Fund and a sum of Rs. 113.75 crore would be utilized for the purpose of implementation of various social and educational welfare schemes like Shagun Scheme, Free Books to Scheduled Castes students studying in 1^st to 10^th classes, Attendance Scholarship to primary girl students and scholarship to the students under the schemes of Post Matric Scholarship, Pre matric Scholarship to those children whose parents are engaged in unclean occupations and Promotion of Education among educationally Backward Classes. It may be noted that the previous congress government spent Rs. 1115 Crores in 5 years and the present SAD Government has invested Rs.825 Crores in just 2 years.

The SAD-BJP government has also implemented a novel scheme to bestow ownership rights on the farmers who had been tilling land over the past many years, across the banks of the rivers in the border districts Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Gurdaspur. Likewise, the government also extended this facility to the people in rural areas who had constructed dwelling units on the village Panchayat land.