Badal to take up number of demands with Centre

Patiala, Nov 2 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minster Parkash Singh Badal today said he would meet Labour and Employment Minister Oscar Fernandes to seek his nod for an institute for masons in the state.

Addressing a news conference here today at Rakhra Technologies, Mr Badal said that Punjab and other parts of country were facing the shortage of quality workers such like masons, for the civil work and Punjab Government had initiated the setting up of the institute of masons in Punjab.

He said that the civil work giant Larson and Toubro (L&T) had expressed interest for the setting up the institute.

He stressed that he would be approaching Central Government, irrespective of which party was heading it, for the betterment of the state.

He said that including transferring Chandigarh to Punjab, he had a long list of demands for progress of the state and he had been raising these in front of centre.

Regarding relations with the alliance partner BJP he said they were, ''very cordial and there was no rift with them'', adding that in a democracy there was always the possibility of relations turning ''hot and cold'' and the media should not read too much into it.

Mr Badal was scheduled to leave for New Delhi later today.

UNI