States need more powers to make rapid progress: Badal

By Our Staff Correspondent

RUDRAPUR (UDHAM SINGH NAGAR), MAY 6. The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, has advocated the need for more powers to the States if they were to make rapid progress in all fields.

Speaking at the Minorities Convention of the Shiromani Akali Dal here over the weekend, Mr. Badal said Sikhs had always enjoyed a special status of love and affection amongst the hill people of Uttaranchal and should now rededicate themselves in making the State a real model of development through hardwork in the right direction.

Recounting at length the love Sikhs had got from the BJP, Mr. Badal wondered as to from where rumours of rift between the hill people and Sikhs were originating.

The Uttaranchal Chief Minister, Mr. Nityanand Swami, sought to lay at rest all speculations that surplus lands with the big farmers (mostly Sikhs) would be taken over by the Government. ``The land arrangements will continue as they were while the area was part of Uttar Pradesh and the farmers should not get panicky by rumours being spread by vested interests,'' Mr. Swami said.

Mr. Swami said the BJP was ready for seat adjustments with the Akalis and hoped the next Uttaranchal Assembly will have Akali representatives also.

It may be mentioned that Udham Singh Nagar dominated by Sikh migrant farmers looks like a mini Punjab with huge tracts of farm lands decked with crops. Besides putting in hard labour, the farmers have fully utilised the expertise of the G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology. As a result, the farmland productivity is the highest in the country.

The credit of rehabilitating Sikh migrants and granting them liberal assistance goes to the former Chief Minister and congressman Mr. Narain Dutt Tiwari. Today, the voters of the area are divided between the BJP, BSP and the Samajwadi Party.

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Section  : Other States
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