Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday urged Punjabis worldwide to rise above petty interests and counter the forces indulging in defaming and denigrating the image of State by dubbing the Punjab as bankrupt and Punjabis as drug addicts.
During a function in New Delhi, Badal gave details about the progress and development projects implemented by the Punjab Government. He said Sikhs were being appreciated worldwide for their labourious nature and inducted as Ministers in Canada Government.
lamenting the smearing campaign launched by the opponents on social media as well as national channels, the SAD president said that these elements were acting on the behest of forces inimical to the Punjab which was heralding into a new era of inclusive development in all sectors.
He said the idea of presenting the right picture of Punjab arose in his mind after multi national companies desirous of investing in the State, started querying about the extent of drug addiction in Punjab when I visited Mumbai. “I then realized that repeated wrong perceptions created by some ill informed political leaders had been twisted by the media and Punjab was being projected as a State facing a serious crisis of drug addiction”, said Badal.
Addressing the gathering, Badal said that we should not let anyone to defame Punjab and Punjabis as in reality we were putting new milestones in the field of prosperity, growth, development and progress.
Giving details about the growth story of Punjab in different fields during his presentation, Badal informed that during Congress regime from 2002 to 2007 the gross VAT collection was `19,960 crore, which witnessed a significant increase to `44,209 crore in SAD-BJP alliance rule from 2007-12 with further increase in the existing rule of alliance to `62,706 crore till date.
On state excise from 2002 to 2007 of Congress regime which was `7,314 crore recorded 10,900 crore in the first tenure of SAD-BJP alliance while in the existing term of alliance the figure has touched `16,448 crore till date. Badal said that State’s own revenue receipts were `36,808 crore in Congress regime which had touched `68,757 crore in alliance rule till 2012 and now it has reached to `99,741 crore.
Expressing satisfaction over reduction in State’s debt growth from 2009, Badal categorically said that Punjab was not a debt ridden state and it has reduced 1.8 percent in debt growth. He said that Punjab had also improved in Debt GSDP ratio from 47.1 percent in 2006-07 to 32 percent in 2013-14.
Badal said “What we have promised has fulfilled. I announced to make Punjab a power surplus State which had been accomplished. Now Punjab will be the first state having 4/6 lane highways connecting all the major towns”.
He said RBI had also declared Punjab as third best state in the country for Investment. He also said that Punjab has been rated Number One in respect of Governance Index which is primarily because of stupendous success of State’s Governance reforms drive. He also divulged that in terms of overall development index, Punjab has been ranked no.2 behind Goa.
He announced that all villages of state would get 4G connectivity by end of this year and Punjab would be first State in country to accomplish this feat.