A day after pleading the State’s case before Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek fiscal assistance, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Tuesday said that Modi has assured to resolve all pending issues pertaining to Punjab by initiating discussions with the concerned Secretaries of various departments.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir, during their meeting with Modi in New Delhi on Monday, had raised various issues pertaining to State’s development, seeking financial packages to bail out the state from the fiscal mess.Modi had assured to consider all the demands put forth to resolve the issues, claimed Sukhbir.
“The Prime Minister gave a patient hearing and assured to resolve the pending issues of the state to maintain the pace of development and growth in Punjab,” said Sukhbir.On the financial package, Sukhbir said that the state had demanded outstanding debt waiver and refund of Rs 2,694 crore paid as interest on special term loan amounting to Rs 5,800 crore by the state for fighting militancy.
“We also raised the issue of incentives to neighbouring states which has affected the industrial climate in Punjab as various industries have migrated to those states due to special packages. We demanded that the same concessions be extended to us till 2017,” he said.“Prime Minister had assured to resolve pending issues pertaining to Punjab by initiating discussions with the concerned Secretaries of various departments,” he said.