Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday said that the NDA Government must do justice by extending the financial assistance to the State as it was “rightfully” demanding economic package from the Centre.
“It is not any concession but the NDA must do justice with the State by extending financial assistance to it,” said the Chief Minister, while interacting with the mediapersons on the sidelines of the death anniversary of Sant Baba Prem Singh Muraale wale.
Badal said that Punjab, which was a once a prosperous State in the country, had suffered a lot due to the “discriminatory attitude of the successive Congress Governments at the Centre.”
Punjab fought the nation’s war against militancy and also had to bear the expenditure of the Central security forces, he said, adding that the State’s economy received a “fatal blow” when the neighbouring hill States were granted incentives by the previous UPA Government leading “to mass exodus of industry from the State”.
“All these factors led to economic constraint in the State due to which the development suffered a lot,” he said.
He categorically said it was the “right” of the State to get financial assistance from the Centre in recognition of its glorious history of serving the country. “We do not seek any concession from the NDA Government but we hope that it will deliver justice to us by providing economic assistance,” said Badal.
The Chief Minister said despite of all odds, the NDA Government had done exemplary work in its short span of one year for ensuring the progress of country and prosperity of its people. “Though overnight changes could not be expected from any Government, then also the Union Government had taken path breaking initiatives…and has launched major pro-poor schemes aimed at ensuring welfare of common man,” he said.
In NDA’s short span, Punjab has been immensely benefited. “Centre has given several key projects to the State, which would be instrumental in putting the State further on high growth trajectory,” he said while hailing the NDA Government for allocating prestigious projects like All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and Post Graduate Horticulture Research and Educational Institute besides including holy city Amritsar in Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojna (HRIDAY).
Badal, however, maintained that the State’s farmers had been immensely benefited from NDA Government, he said that it was not enough as the compensation of the crop loss must be rationalized and brought at par with the amount of loss.
“Above all, introduction of crop insurance scheme is the need of the hour to save farmers from the current agrarian crisis,” he added.