Rs 22,000 cr industrial units soon: Sukhbir

Badal said that he was determined to develop the Faridkot parliamentary constituency as one of the best Lok Sabha constituencies in the country by setting up industries and educational institutions. He strongly criticised successive Congress government at the Centre and in the state for their failure to allot any big industry in this backward constituency.

The Union minister said that the Rs 100 crore Bada Farid Medical University will start functioning at Faridkot within two years. He disclosed that the Punjab State Tubewell Corporation had planned to spend Rs 200 crore with the cooperation of various financial institutions for providing more irrigation facilities to farmers.

Faridkot: Shiekh Baba Farid was a renowned scholar, a man of great wisdom and a devoted saint who dedicated his life to the attainment of union with the divine. He was a noble Punjabi poet who advocated religious tolerance, observed Sukhbir Singh Badal, union minister of state for industries, while inaugurating the historic cultural festival in Baba Farid Sabhyacharak Kender at Faridkot last night to mark the "Aagman Purb" of this great sufi of 13th century.

Badal said that Baba Farid did not confine himself to the tenets of Islam and he chose Punjabi as medium of his poetry when the language was undeveloped. By this, Badal said, he not only enriched Punjabi but also made it poetic and sublime.The minister said that it was Guru Arjan Dev who incorporated Baba Farid’s shlokas and shabads in the Guru Granth Sahib and it became an integral part of Sikh heritage.

Badal called upon the people to follow Baba Farid’s massage of universal brotherhood and oneness of god.

Sukhbir Singh Badal congratulated the district administration, Red Cross Society and International Punjab Society for celebrating the "Aagman Purb", where for the first time, Russian and English artists participated in the cultural programme with the efforts of the North Zone Cultural Centre.

Punjabi artists including Bhupinder Karu, Suhi Brar and Bhagwant Mann also delighted the audience with their performances.

Deputy commissioner Gurinder singh Grewal thanked the participating artists, specially the Russian and English artists. Mrs Sukhbir Singh Badal gave away mementos to artists.