Successive Congress Governments at the Centre have “completely ignored” areas along the State’s border with Pakistan, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said on Thursday.
Badal, addressing a gathering during a Sangat Darshan programme at Aliwal in Gurdaspur district, described the residents of border areas as “true patriots”, saying that they have braved every odd to preserve the unity and integrity of the country.The Chief Minister said that the partition and wars with Pakistan in the post-Independence era had given a fatal blow to the development and prosperity of the border-towns of the State.
“Cities like Amritsar, Kalanaur, Ferozepur, Fazilka and others which were once the industrial and trading hubs of undivided Punjab have been now reduced to petty trading centres,” he said.
“Not only this, but people of these border cities had to bear the brunt of even slightest tension at the border. Unfortunately, instead of recognizing their enormous contribution in preserving the unity and integrity of the country, the Union Government has completely turned a blind eye towards these areas,” he alleged. Badal said that it was on record that instead of granting any special package for the industry, agriculture or any other sector in these areas,
the Congress-led Union Governments had “deliberately framed policies” which resulted in the exodus of industries from these areas.Citing an example, Badal said that the industry of historic town of Batala has been ruined due to the wrong and irrational policies of the Union Government.However, the Chief Minister said that on its part the State Government was making all out efforts to herald a new era of unprecedented development in these areas.
Coming down heavily on the Punjab Congress leadership, the Chief Minister said that the Union Ministers and MPs of state Congress had never minced a word against this atrocious and step-motherly treatment of their party high command. “Rather than seeking funds and projects from the Centre, they are acting as stumbling blocks to meet their narrow vested political ends,” he added.
During his address, Badal also impressed upon residents at the border areas to make a suitable choice in the forthcoming general elections by voting the NDA to power at the Centre, so as to give fillip to the overall development of the State. The SAD veteran also predicted a clean sweep by the SAD-BJP alliance in the forthcoming Delhi Assembly elections. “Fed up with the Congress’ misrule, both in Delhi and at the Centre, people are eagerly waiting to show them the door,” he added.