Bhunder,Soni file papers for RS

Bhunder,who filed his nomination papers in the morning was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal,Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal,Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Kairon and a host of other ministers,chief parliamentary secretaries and MLAs.

Talking to the media,Bhunder,who was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1998 to 2002,said,“I would like all MPs of the Rajya Sabha from Punjab to jointly take up the issues concerning the state for the betterment of the people.”

“Punjab has always received a step-motherly attitude from the Congress. The state has to pay royalty on river waters being used by other states. This is in conformity with the nationally and internationally accepted riparian principle according to which only a state through which rivers flow have a right on their waters. The practice of royalty by non-riparain states is an accepted practice and even Rajasthan and erstwhile princely states of Nabha as well as PEPSU had been paying royalty to Punjab before Independence for the use of waters of it’s rivers.”

He also criticised the Centre for not giving any special package to Punjab and it’s industry. Then also talked about paddy and cotton and also that the Centre was not following the diversification policy properly.

In the afternoon,Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni filed her nomination papers,and echoed Bhunder’s concerns. “All MPs from the state should jointly raise issues concerning the state and should meet at least once in six months,” she said.

She alleged that the Aklai Dal has done nothing for the state in the last three years and has failed on all fronts. On the question of rising prices of petroleum,she said they are increased according to the international crude prices.

She was accompanied by leader of Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal,state Congress president Mohinder Kaypee,Lal Singh,Hans Pal,Rana KP,Rana Sodhi,Kewal Dhillon besides other leaders. A spokesman of the chief electoral officer of Punjab said the scrutiny of papers would be done on Tuesday and the election process will be completed by June 19.