Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday asked the Centre to beef up security along the India-Pakistan frontier in the State to check infiltration from across the border.
“The Union Government must beef up the security along the India-Pakistan border in the State. Effective steps must be taken by the Government of India to check infiltration from across the border,” said Badal while interacting with the mediapersons on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan programme in lambi Assembly segment here.
Badal expressed happiness over the decision of Union Home Ministry to revoke the orders regarding evacuation of villages with in 10 km radius of India-Pakistan border.
lauding the Centre for allotting express highways projects, Badal envisioned it would act as catalyst of development and prosperity of the State, besides facilitating travel in hassle free manner.
The State Government had on Friday said the Centre had given its in-principle approval to the proposed alignment of Katra-Amritsar-Delhi national highway via Jind-Barnala-Moga and Amritsar. Centre also gave in-principle go ahead to Jalandhar-Ajmer expressway and its proposed alignment via Jalandhar-Moga- Bathinda and Ajmer.
Replying to a query, the Chief Minister reiterated the firm commitment of the State Government to lift every single grain of paddy from the market.
He said that the State Government has already made elaborate arrangements for smooth and hassle free procurement of the food grains. Badal said that the entire procurement operation was being monitored by the top brass of State Government to avoid any sort of inconvenience to the farmers.
Replying to another query, the Chief Minister expressed deep concern over the recent attack on Sikhs in California. He expressed hope that the GoI would take adequate measures to ensure the security of Sikhs across the globe.
Refuting the charges of misappropriation of funds for procurement being leveled by the Congress party, the Chief Minister said that all these allegations were ‘figment of imagination’ of the Congress leaders.
He said that the entire procurement operations were monitored by premier banking institute like Reserve Bank of India, so there was hardly any scope of misappropriation. Badal said that the amount of around Rs30,000 crore being questioned by Congress leaders also includes the funds used for procurement during their successive regimes adding that Congress were just misleading the people to score brownie points before the media.
Earlier addressing the public gatherings during Sangat Darshan in village Dabwali Malkon Ki, Kangan Khera, Khema Khera, Tarmala and others, the Chief Minister said that unprecedented development has taken place in the state during last one decade.
He said that the State Government has made all out efforts to ensure holistic development of urban and rural areas of Punjab.
listing the major pro-people initiatives taken by the state government, the Chief Minister said that the SAD-BJP alliance government has supplied free power to the farmers of the state at a cost of Rs 50000 crore in last ten years to bail them out from agrarian crisis.
He added that Punjab is the only state in the country to provide Atta-Dal scheme to the weaker sections adding that it was also the only state to ensure free treatment for fatal diseases like Cancer and Hepatitis C.