Speaker asks Harsmirat Kaur not to address Punjab chief minister as 'their CM'

Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday accused the Congress government in Punjab of delaying work on mega food park in Ludhiana as Speaker Om Birla advised her not to feel peeved with the state government in her role as Union Minister. The Speaker also advised the Union Minister to not address the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh as "their (Congress) Chief Minister."

Badal was responding to a question by Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu about food park in Ladhowal in Ludhiana district. Bittu, while asking the question, had hoped Badal will not get angry.

"I am telling him that I am not peeved with him but surely with their government," Badal said.

The Speaker said that she should not be peeved with the state government.

"You should not be peeved with the government, you are a Union Minister," he told Badal.

The minister said she was unhappy because the farmers of the state need agro-processing and value addition and when she brings projects, the state government does not take it forward for years.

"When it does not help, then understandably there is unhappiness. I have written six letters to their Chief Minister ...that Ladhowal food project which he has mentioned," she said.

The Speaker asked Badal not to address the chief minister as "their chief minister" but Punjab Chief Minister. "Your unhappiness is for boosting development," he said.

Badal said she would seek help from the member as the food park should have been completed last year.

The Union Minister said that she had sanctioned the food park after power supply was ensured.

"I gave it full support but you will be surprised that IQF (individual quick freezing) unit has not been installed, tendering has not been done. The transformer has also not been installed," she said.

"This would be the only food park where the unit has been installed but the park has not been inaugurated yet. I request the member to help us from his own government so that the food park is inaugurated at the earliest and thousands of farmers are benefitted," she said.

She said her ministry has set up 42 projects in Punjab worth Rs 1,200 crore.

"If Punjab MPs will get projects done, I am here to happily do that. I will fully help them," she said.