Harsimrat gives Rs 85-lakh grant to 13 SAD panchayats

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 13

Union Minister for Food Processing Industries and MP from Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, undertook a whirlwind tour of various villages in the district ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

While addressing public meetings at Mehma Sarja and Ablu villages, Harsimrat Badal said people of the area had made her won twice from here, due to which doing their work was her responsibility and she also claimed to change the face of Bathinda during her tenure.

Lashing out at the Capt government, she said to win panchayat elections Congress leaders shot bullets and were trying to disturb peace in the state.

She congratulated 13 SAD panchayats for winning and she also gave grants to those panchayats after 13 days.

Harsimrat attacked Finance Minister Manpreet Badal and claimed that he was repeatedly saying that they didn’t have any money and state coffins were empty, due to which they would not give a single penny to any panchayat, however, he was looting the people of the state by imposing hefty taxes on petrol and diesel.

Harsimrat also claimed that the government supported the dharna against SAD to weaken the party, but people had come to know about the mis-governance and mischievous style of functioning and they were ready to give a benefitting reply to the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

She added that after starting of AIIMS in Bathinda, many employment opportunities would be created for the youth here.

Farmers raised the issue of shortage of urea in front of Harsimrat Badal and they demanded that the transplanting time of paddy should be advanced.

Harsimrat assured them that she would meet Fertilizer Minister and would raise the issue of shortage of urea for wheat. She said she would also raise both issues in Parliament.

Harsimrat Badal on Sunday gave Rs 85 lakh grant to 13 SAD panchayats in the district. She distributed Rs 7.30 lakh to Mehma Sarkari, Rs 6 lakh to Harraipur, Rs 5.50 lakh to Balhar Vinju, Rs 3.40 lakh to Lakhi Jungle, Rs 8 lakh to Nathena, Rs 7.50 lakh to Kothe Natha Singh, Rs 5.50 lakh to Kothe Inder Singh, Rs 12 lakh to Kothe Sandhu, Rs 5 lakh to Kothe Budh Singh, Rs 2 lakh to Amargarh, Rs 6 lakh to Akalian Khurd and Rs 4 lakh to Goniana Kalan.

Earlier in the day, SAD president and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, along with Harsimrat Kaur Badal, visited Takth Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo on the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh.