Rebutting what he called the misinformation campaign by the Opposition parties regarding financial condition of the State, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said the State is in very sound financial position and had there been a financial crisis then all the development oriented works wouldn’t have been effected during the course of previous nine years.
Addressing a gathering after the inauguration of Malerkotla-Raikot Railway Bridge, the Deputy Chief Minister said the sound financial health of Punjab can be gauged from the construction of 150 railway bridges during the previous nine years of the SAD-BJP rule.
He added only four prominent spots in the State are now sans railway bridges. On Saturday, Sukhbir laid the foundation stone of railway bridges at Faridkot, Kotkapura, Barnala and NH-64 Bathinda at a total cost of Rs332 crore.
Badal said apart from making the State power surplus the road infrastructure has been given a facelift by transforming all major roads into four and six laned roads. He said the better road infrastructure has resulted in reduced number of road mishaps. He added the SAD-BJP Government is the only one caring to look after the interests of every section of society and the development has picked up momentum only under the leadership of Parkash Singh Badal.
The Deputy CM mentioned the free health insurance scheme, atta-dal scheme, free power to farming sector, free 200 unit power to the SC/BC households, shagan scheme, pension scheme, mukh mantra tirath yatra and free distribution of bicycles to the school girls as the game changers in looking after the welfare of every section in the State.
In a special measure for the Muslim community, the Deputy Chief Minister announced the State Government has kept an outlay of more than Rs100 crore for the purpose of constructing graveyards throughout the State. He said that inspite of the attempts by the Opposition parties to foment trouble in Punjab, the State Government has been successful in establishing communal harmony throughout the length and breadth of the State.
Castigating the Congress and the AAP, Sukhbir said that both these parties are anti-Punjab and the State would be strengthened when the SAD would be strengthened.
Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said that SAD-BJP Government should be allowed a hat-trick chance in order to continue the era of development and prosperity in the State. Earlier, Malerkotla MlA Bibi Farzana Alam welcomed the Deputy Chief Minister.