Harsimrat kaur badal pays tributes to freedom fighters

She said by dedicating the whole year to the martyrs of freedom movement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set a new precedent in the country in remembrance of the martyrs.

During her maiden visit to Doaba, she lauded the Modi government for “enhancing country’s image both in the country and abroad”.

“India is considered the only bright spot in the otherwise highly depressed economy in the world,” she said, adding Modi had not only provided a “corruption-free government” to the country during the last 24 months but also ensured all its policies were aimed at “improving the conditions of the poor.”

“Doubling the income of the country’s farmers in the next five years is the next aim of Modi government,” the Union minister said, while maintaining that skill development was another priority area of the Modi government.

Listing pro-people schemes of the Modi government like Jan-dhan scheme, Atal-pension scheme and crop insurance scheme for farmers, she said the state’s issues “were being heard” now in the Union ministry, something which was “missing” during the Congress rule despite the presence of a number of ministers in the Union government from Punjab.

Referring to her own ministry, she said with the setting up of three mega-food parks in the state, the earnings of farmers would get a boost as it would ensure “remunerative prices” for their produce.

She urged industrialists of the state to come forward to set up food parks and cold chains in Punjab for which the Centre was providing “high subsidies and tax concessions on VAT”.

Kaur said the foundation stone of the proposed AIIMS at Bathinda would be laid soon and would be ready within the next two years.

Earlier, the Union Minister met war widows and heard their grievances. Families of martyrs and war widows were also honoured on the occasion.

To a question on AAP’s impact on SAD poll prospects in the upcoming state elections, she said it would meet the same fate as that of People’s Party of Punjab (PPP).