The border and Kandi areas of the state have lagged far behind than the other areas in terms of overall development and prosperity, Badal said.
Talking to media on the third day of Sangat Darshan programme in Dasuya Assembly seat, the Chief Minister said, "due to their vested interests the Congress leadership has totally neglected border and Kandi areas during their long regime."
"Hardly any initiative was taken by the Congress leaders to set up industrial units which could have played the pivotal role in developing these areas besides generating employment opportunities for youth," he said.
He categorically said that none of the Congress chief minister has ever bothered to visit these areas due to which they were unaware about the woes faced by people due the lack of basic civic amenities.
Kandi area at the Shivalik foothills is roughly 10 per cent of the total geographical area of the state.
"The SAD-BJP combine government has laid special thrust to develop these areas so that people residing in it could reap the benefits of the development," the chief minister said.
Realising well that the education was the most important aspect for developing these backward regions the Punjab Government had already laid special emphasis to impart quality education to the students in the far flung areas, he said.
Badal said that for the first time in the history of state the SAD-BJP combine government has constituted a separate cadre of teachers for both the regions so that they could contribute in the providing quality education to students.
Badal said that the state government was also focusing on developing the Kandi area of the state as the hub of food processing industry for which the necessary steps are being taken. MORE
