PATIALA SEPTEMBER 16: On the second leg of his Sangat Darshan programme in Patiala city, Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today announced that an ultra-modern multi-storied Interstate air conditioned Bus Terminal at Patiala would be set up in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode at a cost of Rs.250 crore. Addressing a large gathering in a ward, the Chief Minister said that under this mode the private player would bear entire cost of the project and would be allowed to utilise the above 4 floors for opening shopping Malls, offices and other commercial activates. He further said that company would also pay Rs. 2 crore annually to PRTC. Mr. Badal said that about 300 new buses including 50 AC buses would also be added to the existing fleet of PEPSU Roadways Transport Corporation to make its functioning more efficient and economically viable. He reiterated that he had already made a promise with the residents of Patiala that it would soon become one of the most progressive cities of Punjab and even a leading town with all modern and basic amenities in the country.
Reacting sharply the statement of former Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh issued in a section of press accusing him of bribing the residents of Patiala through holding a series of Sangat Darshan programmes here. Mr. Badal categorically said that such statements were nothing but an outcome of sheer frustration and dejection of Capt’s tall claims of being a messiah of the Patiala city and now all of sudden he was shifting the onus on us being bribing the residents of city which amounted to undermining the democratic values and moral ethics.
He said that such irresponsible utterances must be condemned by one & all and these theatricals would not help Capt. Amarinder anymore to emotionally blackmail the innocent residents of Patiala rather he should respect the democracy and its institutions. He said that the people of Punjab in general and Patiala in particular could safely realize that Capt. did nothing tangible for the development of the city which was evident from their overwhelming participation in these Sangat Darshans. "Had they satisfied with the development programmes and other welfare schemes initiated by the previous congress government then obliviously they would not have collected in such great numbers", said Mr. Badal.
The Chief Minister pointed out that he had not any political motive behind these Sangat Darshan programmes as these were organized at regular intervals as a continuous process both in urban and rural areas to ensure clean and transparent governance at the door steps of the people on one hand and to bridge the gap between the people and the administration on the other.
The Chief Minister today covered as many as 15 wards in the Patiala city and listened to the grievances of the residents both individually and collectively on the spot, as most of the grievances and demands raised by them related to drinking water, sewerage, electricity and street lighting. The Chief Minister asked the district administration and Municipal Corporation to jointly prepare an action plan to address to these problems at the top priority within a stipulated time frame. He assured the residents that the scarcity of funds would not to be allowed to come in way of the overall development of the city.
On this occasion Mr. Badal was accompanied by Senior Akali leaders Chief parliamentary Secretary Mr. Raj Khurana, President NRI wing SAD Mr. Surjit Singh Rakhra, SAD General Secretary Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajara, Vice President SAD Balwinder Singh Saifdipur, former SGPC President Prof. Kirpal Singh Baduangar, Ex Minister Mr. Surjit Singh Kohli, President SAD Rural Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, Mayor Ajit Pal Singh Kohli, Ex Chairman SS Board Tejinderpal Singh Sandhu, District SAD President (Urban) Indermohan Singh Bajaj, District President BJP (Urban) Balwant Rai, BJP leaders Mr. Rulda Singh, Mr. Bhupesh Aggarwal, President SOI Mr. Gurpreet Singh Raju Khanna, Commissioner Municipal Corporation SK Ahaluwalia ,Deputy Commissioner Mr. Vikas Garg, DIG Patiala Range Mr. PS Gill and SSP Patiala Mr. S.K Asthana besides party leaders and workers SAD & BJP.