Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today asked the
people of Punjab to be wary of nefarious designs of anti-social elements
that were hell bent upon disturb the hard earned peace, communal harmony
and amity in the state. At the same time, Mr. Badal reiterated that none
would be allowed to disturb the congenial atmosphere in the state at any
cost.
Addressing a mammoth gathering here at a state level function after
launching Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojna (BPSSBY) for Blue Card
Holders (BCH) families and dedicating Rs. 180 crore Rupnagar Bypass along
with Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Chief Minister
cautioned the people not to be swayed by the false propaganda of such
divisive and anti-social elements who were trying to incite them thereby
pushing Punjab-an oasis of peace and harmony once again into fire because
none else could better understood than Punjabis the agony and pain which
they suffered during the black days of militancy.
Lashing at the Congress for ruining the peasantry, the Chief Minister said
that its leadership was now shedding crocodile tears over the plight of
farmers who suffered substantial loss to their cotton crop in Malwa belt
due to sudden attack from white fly instead of extending helping hand to
them in this hour of crisis. He said it was the SAD-BJP government which
was concerned about their problems and ever stood by them in difficult
times. He said that our government not only released Rs. 640 crore as
compensation for the cotton growers but also released Rs. 700 crore for the
cane growers. He mentioned that SAD-BJP government fully sensitized to the
agrarian issues and thus it was giving free power to farmers despite severe
criticism from several quarters including the previous Congress led UPA
government. He said the state government was bearing annual expenditure of
nearly Rs. 5000 crore on this count and our government has reimbursed Rs.
28,000 crore to the PSPCL so far as power subsidy in the agriculture sector
since we took over in 2007.