BADAL TO GOI: Ensure exemplary punishment to Delhi gang rape accused

Sukhchain (Fazilka), December 24, 2012: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Union Government to ensure exemplary punishment for the accused of Delhi gang rape so as to check such heinous crime in the future.

Talking to the media persons here before laying down the foundation stone of Gau Shala and Hanuman Mandir, the Chief Minister categorically said that the people indulging in such inhuman activities should not be spared at any cost and the Centre must ensure that severest of severe punishment is given to them. Advocating more stringent laws to curb the crime against women especially that of eve teasing, Badal said that on their part the state government has already started process of exploring the possibility of making the required amendments in the laws to check these crimes besides initiating steps to set up of special fast track courts for dealing with such cases. He said that it was the high time when the Union Government must take necessary action for making the concerned laws more stringent by declaring eve teasing as a non-bailable offence.  

Coming down heavily on the state Congress leadership for creating ruckus in the recently concluded state assembly session, the Chief Minister said that the opposition never wanted to attend the session adding that on the very onset of the session he had apprehended that the Congress would not listen to reply of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal regarding Law and order in the state and his reply regarding utilizations of funds in Lambi assembly segment.

Badal reiterated that he along with Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Dr Charanjeet Singh Atwal tried their level best to pursue the state Congress leadership to attend` the session but of no avail.

Replying to another query, the Chief Minister pointed out that to provide basic civic amenities to the urban and rural areas of the state was the top priority of the state government. He said that the state government was keeping no stone unturned to ensure that the residents of both these areas get all the facilities required for enhancing the standard of living of these people.

Later on addressing a mammoth gathering, the Chief Minister said that the state government would spend Rs 1700 crore for upgrading the Rural link roads of the state. He said that the concerned department has already been directed to prepare the lists of all the rural roads and start the work at the earliest to ensure better road connectivity in the state.

Badal also announced that the Abohar-Dabwali road would be named after the legendary religious leader Guru Jambeshwar, as a mark of respect to the great Guru of the Bishnoi community.

The Chief Minister further said that due to all out efforts made by the state government a new era of unprecedented development has been heralded in Punjab. He further said that due to all these efforts of their government the state today leads the country in the field of education. Mr Badal also said that due to path breaking initiatives taken by them Punjab would soon become a power surplus state. He said that apart from it the state government was also laying thrust on cleaning of the rivers in the state for which an ambitious project of Rs 3000 crore has been embarked to make the river water clean in next three years.

Making a scathing attack on the Congress led UPA government at the centre, the Chief Minister said that due to the wrong policies of the Union government Agriculture which was once considered as a lucrative profession was no longer a profitable venture. He said that the ill conceived policies of the Union government has led to sharp increase in the input costs of the agriculture whereas the non remunerative MSP fixed by its officers without analyzing the ground realities have squeezed the profits of farmers thereby further aggrieving the situation. He said that he would son meet the Prime Minister over The issue and urge him to intervene for protecting the interests of the farmers to ensure food security in the country.

 Exhorting the farmers to adopt crop diversification and equip their younger generation with technical training, the Chief Minister said that both these steps would supplement the income of the beleaguered peasantry besides opening new avenues of success for them. He also called upon the people to plant more and more number of trees to make Punjab clean, green and pollution free.

Announcing a grant of Rs 21 lakh for the under construction Gau Shala, the Chief Minister reiterated the solemn pledge of the state government to protect cows in he state. He said that with this motive they have upgraded the already existing Gau Sewa Board in the state into a full fledged Commission so that protection of cows could be ensured in the state.

Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included MLA Gurtej Singh, MP Sher Singh Ghubaya and Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Gurkirat Kirpal Singh.