Cess on fuel a must for development: Badal

Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, May 23

Blaming the Congress for putting financial burden on the state, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the Congress had no moral right to demand a ‘white paper’ on the issue. 

Interacting with the media after the inauguration of an Adarsh School at Talwara, he said the Congress derailed the state’s economy by putting the entire burden of expenditure incurred by the central security forces during the days of militancy on the state exchequer.

He said that the successive Congress governments at the Centre were biased towards the state. They gave tax incentives to neighbouring states, which proved to be a major setback to Punjab’s economy. Mass exodus of the industry took place from the state after that. “It is shameful that the perpetrators of this major damage to Punjab are today blaming us for the mess created by them,” he said.

Replying to a question, he justified the imposition of cess on petrol and diesel in the state. He said it was a must for boosting development. Asked about his comments on the Pinki case, he said, “Law will take its own course in case of Gurmeet Singh Pinki.”

Replying to a query about BJP broadening its base in the state, he said, “In democracy, every party has the right to expand its political base. There is nothing wrong if the BJP is doing so. The SAD has no objection if the BJP holds functions to consolidate its mass base in the state. Our alliance is firm and everlasting.”

The Chief Minister also visited the newly constructed Mahant Ram Parkash Dass Government College and the C-Pyte Centre at Talwara. Prior to this, he visited the newly upgraded agro-processing unit at Ramgarh Sikri where he interacted with progressive farmers of the region.