Crisil's rates Punjab most progressive and richest state- Sukhbir Badal

Mansa, November 12, 2013:  Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the latest Crisil ratings had again exposed the Punjab Congress for leading a misinformation campaign about the financial health of the State. Continuing his offensive against the Congress, 'Crisil' has rated the Punjab as the most progressive and the richest state in India.

Addressing a huge gathering after laying foundation stone for remodeling the Saidanwala distributary in village Lakhiwala in district Mansa, Badal said the acclaimed rating agency Crisil in its recent report had declared Punjab as the most progressive and the richest state and this declaration by the agency having credentials of International standing was enough to trash the hollow and meaningless statements of the congress over the financial situation of the state.

He added that congress leaders' stance had exposed their anti-people and anti-Punjab face. "This also reflected that the Congress could go to any extent to derail the process of development,
progress and welfare in the State", he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister gave a clarion call to people of Punjab to defeat the Congress in ensuing parliamentary elections for the sake of all-round growth of the state.

To encourage crop diversification in the predominantly agriculture state of Punjab, Badal said by the end of December all small farmers with five acres of holdings would be given tube well connections within 6 months whereas the pending connections would be allotted on priority by the end of this year. Adding further, he said that the state government had launched a number of schemes for the welfare of traders, farmers and economically weaker sections of the society. Deputy CM elaborated that Punjab had launched Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojana for providing cashless health insurance cover up to Rs 30,000 to blue card holder families enrolled under the atta-dal scheme in the state. Dr Hargobind Khorana Scholarship scheme launched for the students securing 80 per cent and more marks would get RS 30,000 per annum. He said the state was making all efforts to ensure poor students get quality education so as to bridge the gap with their convent-educated peers.

Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon , Balwinder Singh Bhundar MP, Chitin Singh Samao, Prem Mittal both MLAs, Jagdeep Singh Nakai, Harbant Singh Dattewas and Mangar Rai Bansal former MLAs, Baba Sukhchain Singh, Mithu Singh Kahneke and Gurpreet Singh Jhabbar Members SGPC.