Modi-led NDA govt to start new development innings: Sukhbir

Calling upon the Shiromani Akali Dal cadre to sink differences to defeat the anti-Punjab forces in the parliamentary polls, deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal has said Narendra Modi-led NDA government would start a "new development innings" in the state as there would be no discrimination with Punjab after that.

Sukhbir Badal urged people of the state to be ready to fight the second "war of Independence" against the Congress-led UPA government that had ruined the country.

Addressing a rally after laying the foundation stone of Rs 151-crore sewerage and water treatment plant at Khanna, Sukhbir said Punjabis had always played the role of torchbearers whenever the nation faced any crisis. "Again, we have to set the stage for the formation of the NDA government under the decisive leadership of Narendra Modi to save India," he said.

Terming the tenure of the UPA government as the darkest period in a century, Sukhbir Badal said earlier the British regime in India was described as "misrule" but the decade-long regime of the Congress-led government had put behind even the British times. "The UPA government would be remembered only for inflation, corruption and multi-crore scams in the history of India," he said.

Talking about "false" claims made by the PPCC leaders about the fiscal health of the state government, Badal said the Centre collected money from the states in lieu of taxes but allocated funds with utter discrimination.

Replying to a question about the IT boom in the state, Sukhbir Badal said the process to make Punjab the next IT hub of the country had already began as IT giant, Infosys, had started construction for its biggest campus in India. He said the IT sector alone would provide employment to 3 lakh youth in the next three years.

Badal said to facilitate traders, the Punjab government had initiated "Rahat Yojana", aiming to end Inspector Raj in the state. Sukhbir Badal said the state government had set the target to make Punjab the first paperless administrative state in the next 9 months as all kinds of approvals and sanctions would be provided online.

Prominent among others present on the occasion included cabinet minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, chief parliamentary secretary NK Sharma, former MLA Ranjit Singh Talwandi and SAD candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib parliamentary constituency Kulwant Singh.

Rs 31.5 lakh BPL families to be covered under atta-dal scheme'

Ludhiana: Food and civil supplies minister Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon has said the SAD-BJP alliance would cover 31.5 lakh below poverty line (BPL) families under the atta-dal scheme.

Kairon was attending a programme on distribution of wheat and pulses among the BPL families at Koomkalan village in Sahnewal of Ludhiana district on Friday.

The government has been providing wheat for Rs 1 per kg and pulses for Rs 20 per kg. Kairon said BPL families would get subsidised wheat and pulses twice a year.