Monday, January 25, 2010

Badal lauds the achievement of Punjab in Freedom of country

CHANDIGARH : Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in his message on Republic Day has lauded the role of Punjabis in the freedomn of country and calls for introspection for better future.

On the historic occasion of India's 61st Republic Day, I extend my warm greetings and felicitations to Punjabis all over the world.

The formation of the Republic on 26th January 1950 was the first milestone in our march towards realizing the dreams of our people in the aftermath of Independence. The Constitution gave expression to the goals, ideals and values that guided our freedom struggle. It laid the foundations of the structure of governance, committed to secure for all citizens - justice, liberty, equality and dignity.

The unprecedented contribution of Punjab to the cause of Freedom of our country is unmatched anywhere in the history of the world. Punjab has special reasons to remember this day with reverence as 80% of the country's great heroes and martyrs came from our state.

Punjabis' immense contribution in bolstering the national freedom movement ultimately led to the termination of British rule. The great martyrs Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Udham Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Dewan Singh Kalepani, Namdhari Baba Ram Singh, Sohan Singh Bhakna and many more who shed every drop of their blood and had languished in jails, have left a rich legacy for all of us which demands unbounded love and respect for our motherland besides firm commitment to preserve India's glory.

While today is an occasion for celebration and rejoicing, yet it is also a day of calm introspection about our successes and our failures in realizing the goals set in the Constitution and the dreams of the stalwarts of India\'s freedom struggle. Notwithstanding over six decades of planned development, we have not been able to ensure basic minimal services to our people as inequities between states and people continue to grow. Large sections of our rural population and those residing in urban slums are still to partake of the fruits of growth and development.

Punjab is all set to move in a high orbit of growth and prosperity as the state government has already chalked out a farsighted strategy to generate additional funds through resource mobilization on the recommendations of the committee comprising Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal and Local Government Minister Mr. Manoranjan Kalia to give impetus to the overall development and growth of the state. Apart from this, the additional funds thus generated would be utilized for creation of a social security and welfare dedicated fund for payment of shagun and pension under various welfare schemes. Likewise, social development corpus is also being created for upgradation of education, health, access to public services, sanitation for the rural and urban poor and for providing potable drinking water.

Only some time back, there was considerable talk about Punjab's ability to manage its finances and mobilize resources. It may surprise the critics to know that the state recorded the highest ever growth in revenue collection in a single year since Independence. Revenue collections from VAT and CST went up from Rs.5000 crore in 2007-08 to nearly Rs.8000 crore during the current fiscal due to prudent economic policies and financial management.

Thus Punjab rose suddenly from an embarrassing 23rd position to 3rd in the country and is all set to emerge as the top money spinner in the next few years.

Punjab made a break up with the past and emerged as the first state in the country to introduce Governance Reforms. This is aimed at providing hassle free, clean and transparent administration to the people or we can say 'citizen friendly' services in the larger public interest to save them from undue harassment due to malpractices. Our government has already declared 2010 as a 'year of governance reforms' to give a public interface to the governance.

Our government has made several spectacular achievements to emerge Punjab as a front runner state in the country, be it agriculture, industry, infrastructure, power, revenue, civil aviation, health care, urban & rural development and education & skill development.

As a part of Infrastructure growth, Punjab is the smallest state which will have three International Airports – one at Amritsar and new airports at Mohali and Ludhiana.

A network of four and six lane expressways has been laid across the state to provide smooth connectivity to the commuters. Our government is committed to make Punjab as a Power surplus state by 2011 with the setting up of four thermal plants at Talwandi Sabo, Goindwal Sahib, Rajpura and Gidderbaha to generate additional power of 6480 MW.

Punjab has been adjudged the best State in the country in survey conducted by two of India's leading magazine – India Today and Outlook. The 'India Today\'s Conclave-2009' declared Punjab the top ranking and fastest improving State, the best in Agriculture, the best in Infrastructure, Fastest Mover in Infrastructure and the best in consumer market. Our state has also bagged award for \'Best Indian State\' in Water Supply & Sanitation in Outlook-CNN.

On the industrial front, the state government has recently announced its industrial policy to ensure level playing field to the investors. Punjab SEZ act has also been notified to set up special economic zones in the state.

Punjab was the first state and remained the only one in the country for several years to have initiated pro-poor welfare measures with the launch of Atta-Dal scheme to feed 13 lac poor families. The scheme has now been replicated in all the states by the Centre. Punjab still remains the only state to have started Shagun Scheme for the daughters of the SCs and Christians, in addition to starting pension schemes for the aged and widows.

I sincerely appeal to the hardworking Punjabis to contribute enormously in the process of overall development and prosperity of the state besides ensuring a congenial and peaceful atmosphere. This will be our tribute to the legacy of our great Gurus, saints and seers. Lets us further strengthen the traditional secular bonds of communal harmony and brotherhood.

Let us re-dedicate ourselves to a new and fully progressive and prosperous Punjab.

Parkash Singh Badal
News From: http://www.Time2timeNews.com

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