With the promise of a better Punjab….
It is a sombre moment, as we stand today at the cusp of the completion of 70 years of India’s independence. The historic landmark that we celebrate today remains etched in our collective memory as an iconic milestone. And I am positive that it shall always remain the beacon of light to guide us through any difficult times that we, as a nation, might face in our forward journey.
At this moment, however, as I write this, it is not of the future challenges that I am thinking. We shall cross those bridges when we come to them, as the saying goes. My mind, on the contrary, is on the present, which my government is nurturing with its dedicated focus on enabling the people of Punjab to live better lives. And, at the same time, I am thinking of the achievements we have secured, and the promises we have kept over the past seventy years. And more importantly, I am thinking of the thousands of soldiers manning the borders out there so that we can continue to live in peace, secure in the knowledge that they are protecting us day and night. Before I proceed, I would like to take a moment to salute the valour of all those men guarding us from some of the most difficult terrains in the world.
Talking now of the past, most of us from my generation would recall that 70 years ago, we promised to protect our independence at all costs. And we promised to create a Punjab where every person would have the freedom to live and progress in an environment of mutual respect, trust and harmony. Today, as we celebrate the 70th year of India’s independence, we do it with a sense of satisfaction at having achieved this promise in a large measure. Despite the cycle of terrorism and violence it has been through, Punjab continues to be one of the most stable and peaceful states of the country, with people living and growing together in a spirit of peace and amity. This gives me, as I am sure it does to every citizen of Punjab, a sense of pride and happiness.
As far as the present goes, it gives me a lot of satisfaction to say that things have started looking up for every section of the state’s populace in the past five months, since we took over the reins of Punjab. Drugs have been virtually eliminated from the state, while big industrial houses, not just from India but also from other countries, are coming virtually in hordes to Punjab. From governance to education, from health to infrastructure development, we have set the momentum for a complete positive transformation of the state in these five months.
The people of Punjab are today living with total freedom from the fear of the mafias, which ruled the state earlier and which my government set out to wipe out meticulously from the day we starting functioning. Law and order has witnessed significant improvement, with the abolition of the halqa system, in particular, helping to liberate the citizens of Punjab from the shackles of tyranny in which they were living for the past 10 years.
There is also freedom from corruption and freedom from red-tapism, which had made the lives of people miserable in the past one decade. And there is freedom for them to progress the way they want to, in a positive environment where all efforts are being made by the government to facilitate them every step of the way. The social reforms initiated by us are further facilitating the development of various sections of the society, particularly the underprivileged who had been living in the shadows of darkness all these years.
While these accomplishments give me a lot of satisfaction, I know we still have a long way to go if we are to restore the state to its pristine glory, as the nation’s torchbearer in terms of development. One thing that really pains me is that despite our decision to take over their loans, small and marginal farmers continue to resort to suicide as a means of escape from their burden of debt. On this solemn occasion, I would like to reassure my farmer brethren that they are completely free of the loans that we have already waived off – upto Rs. 2 lakh for farmers owning up to 5 acres of land and a flat relief of Rs 2 lakh for all other marginal farmers. Let me clarify, once again, that it is now the responsibility of my government to repay these loans. And I would like to request these farmers to refrain from taking any extreme step in the circumstances. Unfortunately, due to the constrained fiscal situation of the state, my government has not been able to waive off loans of the bigger farmers, many of whom are also suffering due to their debt burdens. To them, I would like to say that we shall continue to strive to alleviate their woes through initiatives to revive the state’s economy, including industrial revitalisation.The revival of industry is a major priority for us, as that alone can give a big boost to our efforts to bring Punjab’s economy back on track. We have already taken several steps in this direction, including freezing power tariff at Rs 5 per unit and ended business of truck cartelization to streamline transportation of goods. These incentives have has encouraged several reputed industrial houses to move to Punjab with new projects and investment plans. The new industrial policy, which we are getting ready to announce soon, will further pave the way for promoting ease of doing business in the state, while also generating employment, to which my government is sincerely committed.
In the end, I would like to appeal to all my brothers and sisters in Punjab to join my government in its endeavour to make the state the economic and progressive power it was not many years ago. With our collective efforts, I am confident that we shall scale new heights of success and once again lead India’s tryst with progress and development.
The grit, courage, hard work, sincerity and determination of Punjabis is not only acknowledged in India but across the world. Punjabis have done the state proud with their global accomplishments, contributing to the growth of the countries where ever they are settled. And I am positive that they shall put their might into bringing their native state back from the brink of ruin to which it had been brought in the past one decade.
On my part, I would like to assure the people of Punjab that I shall continue to put in my best efforts to fulfill every promise I have made to them, and to do everything in my power to bring the lost smiles back on their faces.