With the NDA at the Centre, Punjab has benefitted: Badal

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said Punjab has benefitted after the BJP-led NDA government came to power at the Centre as the state was "neglected" during the Congress-led UPA dispensation.
He said that the NDA government has gifted an AIIMS, an IIM, heritage status to Amritsar and Horticulture Research Institute of Excellence at Amritsar. He also said Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana have been chosen for smart city project and Jallianwala Bagh was given World Heritage Park status.
Badal alleged that during UPA regime, Punjab was "neglected" while the Narendra Modi government at the Centre has shown keen interest in the state's overall development.

"Our state had immensely benefited from the Centre's decision to give a bigger pie in central taxes, from 32 to 42 per cent, which has accelerated the tempo of development and growth of state," Badal told reporters on the sidelines of the second day of his 'Sangat Darshan' programme in Lambi Assembly Segment here.
Asked about BJP President Amit Shah's reported statement that Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was an elder brother in its alliance in Punjab, Badal said "our ties with BJP were neither for electoral gains nor transient, rather it was firm and everlasting on the principals of peace, communal harmony, amity and brotherhood."

On spurt in incidents of suicide by farmers, the CM said the state government has recently enacted Punjab Settlement of Agricultural Indebtedness 2016 Act to put in an effective mechanism for expeditious determination and settlement of non-institutional agricultural debt.

He expressed hope that the Act will go a long way in mitigating the woes of the farming community, and also save them from exploitation at the hands of unscrupulous elements.
Stressing that the Act provides for expeditious settlement of debt disputes, he said, the process to set up district level forums and state level tribunal has already been begun.
Describing the residents of border districts as "true

patriots", Badal said these "brave sons of soil" had suffered a lot at the time of partition.
Had the division of the country not taken place, this region would have been the most prosperous part of the country, he said, adding that due to partition, these areas have lagged behind and the state government's special focus has been on the development of the region.
Urging the Centre to help the residents of border areas of Punjab by announcing a special package for them, Badal said it would be the best way to recognise their immense contribution to the nation.
He said he had been raising the issue continuously with the Centre and hoped that the NDA government would pay due consideration to this long-pending demands of Punjabis.

At Bhiddi Aulakh Khurd village, he slammed the AAP leadership for issuing statements that the party would review the power subsidy given to farmers if voted to power in the state.
Badal said the Rs-5,000 crore annual power subsidy to farmers was a "humble tribute" by the state government for the immense contribution of food-growers who played a key role in making the country self-reliant in food production, adding that its withdrawal would mean an additional burden on the farmers who were already facing a huge debt.
He said the reported statement of the AAP leadership has exposed its "anti-farmer and anti-people" stance.