Neither I nor Sukhbir can decide on who will fight elections,says Badal

Meanwhile,the CM preferred to indulge in Centre-bashing for all the state’s woes. Be it be drug menace or internal security or lifting of foodgrain from the mandis,Badal had just one reply: “The Centre has shut its eyes for Punjab.”

On the issue of drug menace,Badal said: “Me and my party are committed to do anything to curb this menace. But the Centre is not helping us. Punjab is a transit state for drug route and it is the duty of the Centre to ensure that our borders are not porous. Secondly,in our neighbouring state Rajasthan,sale of poppy husk is legal. This makes things very difficult for us.”

He added: “Our police and the people of Punjab have maintained peace even when Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan were burning. When there is a fire in the neighbourhood,even our home receives some heat but the Centre is not bothered.”

“The media has been bashing our government on the procurement of wheat but in reality,the Punjab government only buys the grain and pays the farmers. We have done our work. Now,the movement of foodgrain from mandis is the responsibility of the Centre and they are not doing their work. The paddy season will be even more worse. When we seek permission from the Centre to create silos or other storage spaces,they refuse to give us permission,” he alleged.

Even his nephew Manpreet Singh Badal’s party People’s Party of Punjab could not escape the chief minister’s ire. Asked about Manpreet gaining ground by each passing day,Badal shot back: “Look at the quality of people who are joining him. I do not want to name anyone but one person joined him as we refused him a Rajya Sabha seat. How can we chose this man over leaders like Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa,who are the backbone of the party? Then there are others whom we could not appoint as chairmen of various boards.”

“Moreover,SAD(B) is an old party which has a system in place. This party is not even registered — it is a temporary phase and nothing else,” he added.

On the occasion,the CM listened to the grievances of the 78 village panchayats in Jagraon. He also disbursed grants worth Rs 7.03 crore for the execution of water supply projects in these villages. Badal added that while Rs 14.2 crore was being spent in the villages of Jagraon constituency,Rs 63 crore would be spent on water supply and sewerage system for Jagroan city. A 7-km road stretch will also be constructed from Jagraon to Sherpur.