Parkash Singh Badal accuses UPA govt of ignoring Punjab

MUKTSAR: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today charged the Congress led UPA government at the Centre with ignoring Punjab and stalling development projects in the state for its vested political interests.

A number of important projects of public importance were hanging in fire despite of the completion of the entire work because the Union government was not granting the permission to operationalise them, he told reporters here.

Badal earlier inaugurated 55th Panjab University Zonal Youth and Heritage festival at Guru Gobind Singh College.

Citing an example, he said that the total civil work of the Bathinda Air port has been completed but the Union Civil Aviation Ministry was not granting the permission to operate flights from there.

Badal said that he had personally taken up this matter with the top brass of the Union government but of no avail.

It has vindicated our stand that the Congress party has always adopted an anti-Punjab stance, the chief minister said, adding that there was an unending list of such instances.

"The Congress leadership must desist from stooping too low because the wise people of Punjab will never spare them for these sinister activities," added Badal.

Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that the SAD-BJP alliance would sweep the upcoming polls for Delhi Assembly adding that "fed up by the rampant corruption and inflation the wise voters of Delhi would show door to the Congress party."

SAD being a key ally of the NDA would extend full support and cooperation to the BJP in routing the Congress party first from Delhi and then from the entire country, he said.

Expressing concern over the massive destruction caused by cyclonic storm 'Phailin' in east coastal areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, Badal said the Punjab government would make every endeavour to help the two affected states.