Ghudda (Bathinda),: Owing to the stupendous success of the state in field of imparting quality education to the students, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today envisioned the state as a hub of ‘Education and Healthcare services’ across the country.
Addressing the massive gathering after laying the foundation stone of the Central University of Punjab, the Chief Minister said that the Punjab government has taken unprecedented steps to boost the education sector in the state as a result of which the state has emerged as a leading state in the country in field of education. He said that apart fromsetting up 10 new Universities and 17 Degree Colleges the state government has also given due emphasis on strengthening the infra structure in government schools across the state. Mr. Badal said that Bathinda which was once considered as an educationally backward district in the State has now housed five new universities to impart quality education to the youth.
The Chief Minister further said that in a short span of its rule the NDA government led by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has given several key projects to the state, which would be instrumental in putting the state further on high growth trajectory. He said that Sri Amritsar Sahib the holy city of the state has been chosen as heritage city under the HRIDAY scheme, which would ensure flow of central assistance worth hundred crores of rupees for its development. Likewise, Mr. Badal said that Jallianwala Bagh has been included amongst Cultural World Heritage Site to receive special assistance for improving the infrastructure.
The Chief Minister also hailed the NDA government for allocating prestigious projects like All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and Post Graduate Horticulture Research and Educational Institute. He further said that this was for the first time ever since independence that a Union government has given such key projects to the state. “This demonstrates a special concern of the NDA government for the patriotic people of Punjab, which must be appreciated by one and all” added Mr. Badal.
Striking an emotional chord with the farmers of the state, the Chief Minister assured the cotton cultivators that the state government would soon compensate them for heavy loss incurred by them. Mr. Badal said that the state government was well aware of their hardships and every effort would be made to bail them out from this hour of crisis. He said that state government had recently taken steps to rescue to cane cultivators from the prevailing crisis.
Taking a dig at opposition parties for misleading the people, the Chief Minister said that there was not even a single achievement to the credit of Congress party in long spell of its rule. Likewise, he said that AAP was merely indulging in false propaganda against the state government whereas it has hardly done anything tangible for the welfare of the people in Punjab. Mr. Badal urged the people to not get swayed away by the misleading propaganda of these people.
The Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal while addressing the gathering said that today is a historic day for the Malwa region, especially Bathinda, as a novel beginning has been made in the field of education. He said that on the completion, the university would impart quality education to 18000 students who would be given every possible facility. He further said that a budget of Rs. 2000 crore has been earmarked for this purpose.
Divulging more details about the development initiatives of the State Government, the Deputy Chief Minister said that 1 lakh Government Jobs would soon be advertised and every assembly constituency would get Rs. 25 crore for carrying out the development works. He elaborated that special attention would be paid to the laying of sewerage. He also informed that the State Government would spend Rs. 800 Crores in the next year and half for giving concrete shape to the water channels in the Bathinda district and also solve the problems of the district concerning water on which Rs. 2000 crore would be spent.While thanking, the Union Minister for Human Resource Development for bestowing this honour to the district, the Deputy Chief Minister also showered praise on the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for conceding to the long pending demand of the Ex-servicemen regarding One Rank One Pension scheme.
In her address the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Mrs. Smriti Zubin Irani said that Central University of Punjab was one of the best universities of the country. She said that Punjab must take the lead of introducing farm techniques, water, Rural and Food processing management courses in the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) set up at Amritsar so that the rest of country should follow it. Mrs. Irani also mooted a proposal for possible tie up between the Union HRD Ministry and Food Processing Ministry chalking out a roadmap for expansion of Food processing industry in the state by imparting education to the students.
The Union Minister also announced that the new campus of the Central University of Punjab would be ready within 18 months. She said that the university would act as a catalyst of education in the entire region as world renowned experts from across the globe would be roped in to deliver important lectures to the students. Mrs. Irani hoped that this university would play an instrumental role in checking the brain drain of the region by open new vistas of employment in education sector for them.
