Punjab to formulate plan for border district development:Badal

Slamming Congress for "betraying" the people of border areas by denying "basic civic amenities" to them, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the state government would soon chalk out a multi-pronged strategy to ensure overall development of border districts.
Addressing a gathering during Sangat Darshan programme of the Dera Baba Nanak assembly segment here, the Chief Minister said he had directed Deputy Commissioners of all border districts in the state to conduct a comprehensive village-level survey within a month for acquainting themselves with the needs of the people.
Based on the survey, a need-based plan would be formulated to ensure that the residents of these districts are provided ultra-modern facilities, he said.

Asking the people to vote for BJP-led NDA at the Centre, the Chief Minister said it would give a major fillip to the development of the border areas as Punjab government would get more funds from NDA government to develop these places.
He said once Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was elevated to the post of the Prime Minister, unprecedented development would be witnessed in the entire region.
Taking aim at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for being inexperienced, Badal said he was hardly a match for Modi's decisive and able leadership.

He hit out at Congress saying the party made hollow promises and never did anything for the welfare of the people.

Badal said the oppression against Punjabis and Sikhs during successive Congress regimes at Centre has surpassed those meted out to them during the Mughal and British Raj.
Badal said that due to the discriminatory policies of the Congress governments, development of Punjab has been adversely affected and called on the people to throw Congress leaders out of power.