Badal seeks people's cooperation for its government

Ludhiana, Jan 11 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought people's ''whole-hearted'' cooperation to successfully run the SAD-BJP government saying that it was the people's government for their welfare.

''We are merely representatives elected by the public mandate'', Mr Badal said while addressing a public meeting after dedicating the ultra-modern Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Interstate Bus Terminal at cost of Rs 21 crore on BOT basis.

The Chief Minister also asked the officers of both and civil administration to pay due respect and regard to the party workers of SAD-BJP and said that the Government would suitably reward such deserving officers who comply with these instructions in true spirit.

Mr Badal lauded the Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal for naming this ultra-modern inter-state bus terminus after great martyr Amar Shaheed Sukhdev.

He also announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh for the maintenance and preservation of the native house of great martyr Sukhdev which would be developed into a memorial.

Ruling out any sort of financial crisis in the state, Mr Badal confidently said that the economic position of the state was stable adding that several on-going development projects and welfare programmes were a testimony to this fact.

He squarely blamed the Congress government led by Capt Amarinder Singh for pushing down the state at 5th and 6th slot which was at No.1 in 2002 when SAD-BJP government demitted office. He reiterated that his government was committed to make Punjab a front runner state once again and soon re-claim the first slot.

Later, Mr Badal along with Mohan Lal, flagged off a fleet of 40 new PUNBUS buses.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mohan Lal said that the new bus terminus at Ludhiana with ultra-modern facilities would result in hassle-free movement of 3800 buses with an influx of 1.25 lakh passengers every day.

The Transport Department had chalked out an ambitious programme to modernise and upgrade the 32 bus stands in the state on the BOT basis, he said.

He said that bus terminals at Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana had been made operational and Phagwara would be dedicated on January 16.

He also said that Rajpura bus stand would be dedicated soon to the public and at a world class bus stand at the holy town of Anandpur Sahib would be developed on the priority.

He informed that all the up-coming new bus stands would be named after the great martyrs and warriors for their heroic deeds.

UNI XC JN MMS1956