Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, May 27 : Taking a strong note of the rejection of special economic package to Punjab by the Union Minister of State for Finance Mr Jayant Sinha, the state Congress President Mr Partap Singh Bajwa said the definition of discrimination against this state had acquired a new meaning under the government at the centre with Mr Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister on whom the Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal was never tired of showering praises, one won’t know for what purpose.
“Mr Sinha has categorically stated that there is no need for any package as Punjab is on the path of prosperity. In case that is rightly so, Mr Badal needs to explain to the people as to why cess on petrol, diesel and electricity was levied affecting all sections of society across the board to mop of hundreds of crores. The prosperous Punjab could very well have spared the people from this burden. Punjab might be prosperous in Mr Sinha’s perception in the in the context of the people paying the maximum for petrol per litre in the country. One would definitely tend to agree with Mr Sinha that only a prosperous state can levy the highest taxes on patrol as compared to the rest of india as the people might have the paying capacity. But then this is the state in which every economic indicator telsl a shocking tale”, he agreed.
He reminded Mr Badal that for years, the Akali Dal in general and he in particular had been raising the bogey of discrimination by the Congress governments at the centre despite the fact that this state gained the maximum during the two tenures of Dr Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister who denied nothing. He said what was now appalling was that Mr Badal had been all praise for Mr Modi who had not taken a single decision which could be termed as favourable to this border state.
“Mr Badal should have the moral courage to concede the fact that he has been misleading the people of Punjab all these years on this issue. Even the increase in MSP of crops has been the highest under the Congress regime. Now Mr Sinha has left none in doubt about the fate of Punjab under the Modi government”, he added.
