Situation across border not good: PM

Noting that the situation across the border is "not good", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the UPA government has initiated talks with Pakistan on the issue of imposition of religious tax on minorities in that country's tribal areas.   

"The minorities are facing problems in neighbouring Pakistan...Jazia (religious tax) is being imposed on minorities...We have started talks with Pakistan on the issue," the Prime Minister said addressing a rally on the concluding day of campaigning for May 13 polling.   

"We will take appropriate and necessary steps on the issue of imposition of jazia in neighbouring country on minorities," he said.  
The Ministry of External Affairs has last month summoned a diplomat of Pakistan High Commission to register its unhappiness over
Sikhs being driven out of their homes by the Taliban for failing to pay jazia. Indian High Commission in Islamabad also conveyed similar views to Pakistan Foreign Office there.   

Maintaining that the situation across the border is not good, Singh said "we will at no cost bear anything against us."  

India, he said, wanted friendly and cordial relations with its neighbouring countries. 

Singh said the priority of his government has been development of villages and improving the lot of farmers.  

"Our government doubled the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat from Rs 630 per quintal to Rs 1080 per quintal," he said adding the MSP of cotton was hiked from Rs 1725 per qunital to Rs 3000 per quintal.   

While the UPA always strived that the benefit of country's progress goes to farmers, the BJP government at the Centre "never benefited the peasants," he said.  

"The NDA and its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) always failed to protect the interests of farmers," he said, adding "the SAD-BJP are indulging in publication of false advertisements in newspapers."   

He said on Amritsar - the pride of Punjab - the Centre had spent Rs 3150 crore on various schemes for better facilities.  

The Centre has given Rs 120 crore for the upgradation of Amritsar medical college and a sum of Rs 150 crore is being spent on Rajasansi airport in Amritsar.A bus service has been launched for Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.