Badal vows to secure 'justice' to Punjab from Centre

Chandigarh, Mar 2 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today vowed to continue his party's struggle for ''securing justice'' for the state on every front while stating that he was looking forward to ''constructive cooperation'' with the Centre for the welfare of the state.

''We will follow a policy of cooperation with the UPA-government for the welfare of the people and the development of the state'', the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) supremo said while addressing his first press conference after assuming office here.

However, he declared in the same breath, ''We will continue our struggle for securing justice for the state on every front--economic, geographical as well as on the river water issue'', Refering to his poll promised he sought to assure the common man that 'daal' and 'atta' would be made avaliable at Rs four per kg and Rs 20 per kg respectively as promised in the SAD manifesto.

''The government would set about fulfilling all the commitments made to the people during the just concluded elections'', he said.

He called for a ''comprehensive consensus and conciliation across the entire social and political spectrum in Punjab'' to take the state forward on the path to all round development and prosperity.

The new government was determined to move ahead as a trustee of a sacred faith and for this the cooperation from every section of Punjabi society, including the Opposition party was required, he said.

Mr Badal said that the new government would make a complete break with the politics of vendetta as only the confluence of the various reservoirs of traditional Punjabi energy could take the state across the hurdles it faced. ''There is no time to be wasted on reflecting on the sad and unfortunate legacy of bitterness and confrontation of the past five years'', he added.

MORE UNI