Badal reiterates stand on Udham Singh Nagar

AMRITSAR, Aug 3: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today reiterated that Udham Singh Nagar issue should be decided on keeping in view wi...

AMRITSAR, Aug 3: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today reiterated that Udham Singh Nagar issue should be decided on keeping in view wishes of the local residents.

While addressing a press conference here at Raja Sansi airport, he said it was an established principle that states should be formed on the basis of language and culture.

Replying to a question about statement of Murli Manohar Joshi regarding amendment of Land Ceiling Act in Uttranchal Pardesh, Badal said this logic had no significance. He said there was a wide gap in culture of hilly and plain areas and a majority of people in Udham Singh Nagar did not wish to part from UP. He said the party would decide the future action in the Political Affairs Committee meeting.

The CM said the state government was contemplating setting up a separate department to eradicate the problem of rural unemployment. Modalities for this were yet to be worked out.

Badal claimed that power tariff and bus fares in Punjab were still cheaper than in other states. He attributed price rise of essential commodities to the Central government.

Earlier, Badal accompanied by state and district level officers visited a poverty ridden village, Bhindi Saidan in Ajnala thesil.Deeply concerned over the problem of unemployment, he interacted with the youth for two hours.

Addressing a huge gathering there, Badal said a project officer along with other team members, would conduct door-to -door surveys of every village, identify and prepare youth for different vocations like carpet weaving, dairying, piggery, bee-keeping, handloom operations, shop keeping, tractor and electric motor workshops, mushroom growing among others.

Badal sanctioned about Rs 30 lakh projects for the village.

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Later, addressing a huge gathering at Ajnala after laying the foundation stone of Rs 2 crore grain market, the Chief Minister urged the farmers to divert from paddy to vegetables and fruits as the demand for paddy was not much in other parts of the country.

The CM said that Punjab government had strongly pleaded with the Centre to introduce crop insurance scheme for farmers.Justifying the incentive of free power and water supply to the farmers, the Chief Minister said that this concession had increased production by 30 per cent in Punjab. He urged the farmers to conserve power and make judicious use of this facility.

Badal said he would be going to Delhi on August 10 and 11 to meet the Prime Minister and other ministers in regard to pending issues of Punjab.

Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar, Narinderjit Singh while briefing the CM, said there was a need to construct 600 ft revetment on Saharan bandh to save the agriculture land from erosion.