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In their respective speeches, both Badal and Dhumal said, “We have to win the next general elections, the Congress has to be voted out of power and the NDA led by LK Advani has to be voted in. For that, make sure that Satya Pal Jain wins from Chandigarh”.
Satya Pal Jain, along with Punjab Chief Minister M Parkash Singh Badal and Himachal Pradesh CM Prem Kumar Dhumal, were honoured at the Sanman Samaroh organised by the Chandigarh unit of the BJP at Nehru Park in Sector 22 here.
Badal was honoured for the successful completion of a year of SAD-BJP rule in Punjab, Dhumal for steering the BJP to victory in the recently held Assembly elections and Jain for the party’s spectacular victory in the hill state.
Urging the gathering to be prepared for a Halla Bol (attack) to dislodge the ruling UPA at the Centre, Badal claimed that the “NDA under the leadership of L K Advani is inching closer to power at the Centre.”
He accused the Congress of indulging in vote-bank politics for 50 years. He said it had done nothing to combat poverty, unemployment and illiteracy.
Balbir Punj, National Secretary of BJP and party in charge for Punjab, Kiran Ghai, party co-in charge for Punjab, former minister Tota Singh and President Chandigarh Akali Dal Gurpartap Singh Riar were also present on the occasion.
Siswan-Baddi road to be complete by 2009: Badal
The road from Siswan to Baddi, near Chandigarh, is expected to be completed by June 2009. Tenders have been invited for the project. The project will eventually give way to a link between Chandigarh and Anandpur Sahib.
This was stated by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at the Sanman Samaroh. Badal said the highway will not only shorten the distance between the two major destinations but will also open up the entire zone for development. It will also take load off the Ropar-Chandigarh- Anandpur Sahib-Nangal highway, finally connecting Una in Himachal,” Badal said. At present, thousands of employees commute between Baddi and the tricity via a road riddled with pot-holes. Badal also sought cooperation from the BJP leadership in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan so as to resolve contentious issues, including electricity and distribution of river water. He said the key officers of both Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have held discussions on important issues. He said both the states have decided in principle that Punjab will supply extra units of powers to Himachal in winter and Himachal will return the favour in summer. Later, talking to reporters, Dhumal said, “The state can spare 150 mega watt power for Punjab. But the final figures are yet to be worked out. We will give power to Punjab so that the farmers in the state can grow paddy”.
Badal also announced the construction of a ropeway from Anandpur Sahib to the Naina Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh. Necessary details in this regard are being worked out by RITES, he said.
The two states have also decided to jointly urge the Centre to grant a special category status to the Shahnehar project and lend the mandatory 90 per cent Central assistance under the scheme, said Badal.
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