Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Monday gave a clarion call to Punjabis not to let anyone tarnish the State’s image. “We are Number 1 and will remain Number 1,” he said, while urging the Punjabis to unite and face the vilification campaign launched by vested interests jointly.
Sukhbir, while addressing the intellectuals, opinion makers and teaching fraternity at the Guru Nanak Dev University, urged them to differentiate between real facts and wrong perceptions being spread to defame Punjab and Punjabis. Presenting the real facts regarding Punjab’s growth in various sectors in almost two-hour long powerpoint presentation, Sukhbir said that he had decided to act when industrialists from other states asked him whether they would be able to get workmen as there was a perception that most of the youth were drug addicts.
“I thought enough is enough. I must present the true picture to Punjabis and that is why I am standing before you now,” he said. Sukhbir said that despite record seizure of narcotics by Punjab Police, some people were trying to politicise the issue. “Punjab is only a transit route while the source of narcotics is across the border. Punjab is fighting nation’s war against drugs but instead of appreciating the efforts of Punjab, political rivals are politicising the issue, which is unacceptable,” he said.
Sukhbir, in his presentation, went on to demolish various myths about Punjab one-by-one by highlighting governance reforms, “best performing Power Distribution Utility award to Punjab”, growth in state revenue, increase in revenue performance, rise in state’s GDP, among other things.
He further went on to claim that Punjab would become the first state to have all urban areas with underground power cables network in order to have a wire free roads and uninterrupted power supply, to have highest road density, 4-G connectivity by the year end, government offices to be made online, to launch e-registration of property, besides other things¸ to indicate that state is on high growth trajectory.