Maintain communal harmony for Punjab's prosperity: Badal

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought people's cooperation to maintain peace and communal harmony in Punjab for propelling growth and development in the state.
In a message addressed to all Punjabis on Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), the Chief Minister said that it had ever been his sacred duty to preserve peace and communal harmony in the state as he firmly believed that the process of development, progress and prosperity was not at all feasible without it.
The CM said,"We have always followed the policy to cooperate and respect everyone and would follow the same in future too."

He further said that unwarranted confrontation was never had been a part of his nature and stated,"Punjab belongs to all of us and we all belong to Punjab."
The Chief Minister said that to usher in a congenial atmosphere of peace, amity, love, unity and communal harmony was their priority, and policy as preached by the Great Gurus, Saints, Seers and Prophets on this sacred land.
Badal further reminded that all Punjabis had faced a traumatic period for long time "when our traditional atmosphere of harmony and brotherhood was exploited to the hilt."

Several conspiracies were hatched in those times to divide the people on sectarian lines.

The Chief Minister said that we made stupendous efforts to take Punjab to the new heights of glory.
In fact the Punjab has become a leading state in the country in different sectors namely viz., Agriculture, Power Generation, Health, Education and Infrastructure development.
The congenial atmosphere of the state and industrial friendly attitude has forced not only Indian but International Business tycoons also to invest in the state, he said.
This was evident from the recently concluded Global Progressive Punjab Investment Summit.
Badal also announced that the students passing out from
the meritorious schools would be imparted free higher education by the state government.

On the 'Mukh Mantri Vigyan Yatra' scheme, he said that its sole aim was to inculcate a scientific temper among the students from 6th class onwards at all the government schools in the state.
He said that under the Vigyan Yatra scheme, over 28,000 students would be taken on an excursion to Pushpa Gujral Science City in Kapurthala at the state government's expenditure during the current financial year.
Badal said that the basic spirit behind this scheme was to introduce them to various scientific activities to encourage them to cultivate scientific temper.
"The need of the hour is to bring about a paradigm shift in students' mindset to develop aptitude and curiosity for science to enable them to compete globally with their peers.

Earlier, Education Minister Daljeet Singh Cheema lauded the Chief Minister for showing special concern towards the education sector in the state.
He said that under Badal's leadership, Punjab has scripted a new success story in field of education and has emerged as a front-runner in imparting quality education.
Later on, the Chief Minister flagged off buses under 'Mukh Mantri Vigyan Yatra' scheme.
On the occasion, the students from various schools put up a variety of performances.