CM announces 224 cr package for kandi area
From Our Correspondent

NAWANSHAHR, Nov 19 — The Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, in a bid to win over the people of Nawanshahr, today announced two major projects at a function here.

He fulfilled the long-pending demand of the residents of Nawanshahr by laying the foundation stone of a project to widen and strengthen the Nawanshahr-Rahon-Machhiwara-Samrala-Khanna road and construct a high-level bridge across the Sutlej river. In addition, he announced a special Rs 224 crore package for the development of the kandi area.

The project envisages provision of civic amenities like roads, drinking water, hospitals, schools, etc in the kandi area. With the completion of these projects, not only the development of the Kandi area would be ensured, but the economies of Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur districts would get a boost.

The widening of the Garhshanker-Khanna road via Nawanshahr-Rahon, and construction of a high-level Bridge across the Sutlej and railway overbridge at Khanna at a cost of Rs 180 crore would reduce the distance by about 30 km for the traffic passing here from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Punjab to Delhi. Mr Badal gave a cheque to Rs 5 crore to the MLAs of the Kandi area for providing drinking water in about 250 villages.

Alleging that the Congress governments both at the Centre and in the state, had always given a step-motherly treatment to Punjab he claimed that it was only during the rule of non-Congress government at the Centre and the SAD government in state that Punjab could get something.

He said that he wanted to root out corruption from the state and appealed to the people to come forward to extend their cooperation for the purpose.

Mr Jatinder Singh Kariha, Zila Jathedar, SAD, while welcoming Mr Badal demanded that the sugar cane price should be increased to Rs 110. Mr Mohinder Singh Hussainpuri, SGPC member, demanded that the Garhshanker-Khanna road via Nawanshahr-Rahon, which was to be constructed, should be named as Baba Banda Bahadur Road. He also demanded that Garhshanker should be merged with Nawanshahr district.

Mr Narinder Singh, Public Health Minister, Mr Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Welfare Minister, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, Speaker, Punjab Assembly and a number of MLAs, SGPC members and SAD-BJP leaders were present.