Badal dubs budget pro-people; Cong says nothing for common man

Terming the Union Budget as "visionary and pro-people", Punjab government today expressed gratitude to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for announcing projects like AIIMS, horticulture research institute for the state even as Congress said there was nothing in it for the people.
"It is in furtherance of the agenda of NDA to make Punjab a leading state by ending a long spell of discrimination with the state during the misrule of the previous UPA government," Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said while pointing out the projects announced for the state in the Budget.
In a statement, Badal said the "gifts" given by the NDA government were a testimony of their commitment to make Punjab as a frontrunner state in the country.

He said the key projects allocated by Union Finance Minister to the state in the budget would boost the economic development of the state.
Lauding the announcement of setting up AIIMS in the state, Badal said it would help in imparting world class health infrastructure and services to the people of the state.
He said the state government has been pressing the Union government for this ambitious project and by allocating AIIMS to the state, Jaitley has given a much awaited gift to it.

Hailing "pro-farmers" decision in budget, the Chief Minister said the fresh target of giving Rs 8.5 lakh crore credit to farmers would help in mitigating the woes of the peasantry, which had suffered a lot due to the regressive and anti-farmer policies of the UPA government.

"This decision of the Union Finance Minister will give a fresh lease of life to the farming community, besides helping them to overcome the current agrarian crisis," he said.
Lauding the Union Minister for earmarking Rs 5,600 crore for micro irrigation purposes, Badal said it would be beneficial for the state as its water table was depleting with each passing day.
Badal also thanked Jaitley for announcing Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research in Amritsar, saying it would boost the prospects of ongoing efforts under agriculture diversification in the state.
Badal said that promotion of allied farming activities like Horticulture were the need of the hour as agriculture was no longer a profitable venture.

The Chief Minister also thanked Jaitley for including Jallianwala Bagh Memorial, Amritsar, in the list of World Heritage project and termed that it was a real tribute to countless martyrs who had sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle.