Badal goes fund hunting
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 1 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today urged the Centre to set up a separate Rs 10,000-crore corpus to help the states provide incentives for economic reforms all over the country on a uniform pattern.

Mr Badal, who called on the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today held discussions on wide ranging subjects, including prestigious projects in the state. The Chief Minister sought the release of funds for Amritsar International Airport, Science City, Chandigarh-Ludhiana rail link and Khalsa heritage-project.

The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, with the Union Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi on Monday.

The state government has also requested the Prime Minister to expedite pending environmental clearances for a pipeline meant for Sri Guru Gobind Singh Oil Refinery at Bathinda.

Mr Badal also called on the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Sharad Yadav, to chalk out an action plan to expedite the completion of Rs 120-crore international airport at Amritsar.

Mr Yadav reviewed the deadlines for various phases of the project such as extension of the runway, construction of a control room and technical complex.

Responding to a request from Mr Badal, the Civil Aviation Minister agreed to personally visit Amritsar to inspect the ongoing works at the international airport and said he hoped the entire project would be completed ahead of its deadline of 2002.

The Chief Minister also informed that the Punjab Government had already placed 700 acres of land at the disposal of Airport Authority of India and that the decks were now clear for completing the project on a war footing.

During his visit, the Chief Minister also met the Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, and senior officers of the ministry to monitor the progress of Rs 239 crore Chandigarh-Ludhiana rail link.

Railway Ministry officials informed that the actual field-to field survey in respect of 15.5 km was over and the process to acquire land had already been initiated.

Mr Badal also requested the Railway Minister to visit Punjab and hold a meeting at the site of the project to ensure that the work was taken up on urgent basis.

In a separate meeting with the Union Home Minister, Mr Badal apprised him of the progress in implementation of various schemes for the welfare of the people living along the international border.