Badal flays Centre for soaring prices

Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, Apr 14 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today held the UPA-government responsible for failing to check the rise of prices of essential commodities.

Addressing a public rally on the occasion of Baisakhi here, he lamented that the Central Government had failed to spell out the measures to be taken for checking the price rise.

'' Two square meals a day are increasingly becoming difficult for the common man,'' he said while refering to the prices of various essential commodities.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and MP Sukhbir Badal in his address too referred to the rising prices and said the Centre was only concerened about projecting the '' updated lists of the rich''. For the government only the ''top ten'' matter, the rest have become non-entitties, he added.

The Chief Minister reiterated that the government should link the MSP of agricultural commodities with the wholesale price index. The MSP of Rs 1000 per quintal was not enough for the farmers considering the steep rise in the agri input costs, he added.

'' Our farmers have worked hard to make India food sufficient and they should be adequately rewarded for their labour,'' he added. The Chief Minister also referred to the deteriorating soil health and groundwater resources in the state and demanded adequate compensation for Punjab for this.

In his speech, Mr Badal said that work on the proposed Guru Gobind Singh Marg from Anandpur Sahib in Punjab to Nanded in Maharashtra would commence soon. He claimed that the chief ministers of the states through which the Marg would pass had given their consent for the construction of this highway.

He said that work on the construction of the proposed Guru Gobind Singh Sikh University at Fatehgarh Sahib would commence in the next two months. He announced that a sum of Rs 90 crore would be spent on improving the water, sewage and road network in Talwandi Sabo town.

Mr Sukhbir Badal in his speech also refered to the infighting in the Punjab Congress and said the leaders of the opposition party were fighting amongt themselves and were not concerned about the problems of the state and its people.

UNI HS RR AS2023