Terming the Centre’s nod to Amritsar-Delhi-Kolkata industrial corridor project as a “historic initiative”, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday claimed that the decision was an outcome of SAD-BJP alliance’s concerted efforts.
“Besides writing letters, I had personally taken up this matter with the Union Government a number of times,” said Badal.
He added that realising the vast significance of this project, which would “accelerate the tempo of ongoing overall development of the State” on one hand, and give a major fillip to the industrial development of the State on the other, the Punjab Government had taken up this issue at the various levels with the Union Government.
He said that he was happy that “finally conceding to the demand of the State Government, the Union Government has taken this historic initiative”.
Demanding a special economic package for Punjab, the Chief Minister said that the Centre must recognise the mass contribution of State by giving it a special status.
“However, despite enormous contribution of the State, the Congress led successive Central Governments had completely ignored it while formulating the policies,” he alleged.
Badal claimed that due to the anti-Punjab policies of the Congress-led Union Government, the industrial and agricultural sectors of the State have “suffered adversely”.
“Centre is adopting policy of pick and choose while allocating funds required for the modernisation of the police,” he said, adding that Centre’s this attitude was not in the larger interest of the country.