M A I N   N E W S

Relics: Badal meets PM
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, June 12 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today urged the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to personally intervene and ensure the restoration of literature, reference material and other articles removed from the Sikh library by Army during Operation Bluestar.

Mr Badal, who was in the Capital today in connection with a meeting of Planning Commission, underlined the importance of the literature and historic material which were of “paramount emotional importance for every Punjabi in general and Sikhs in particular”.

This is the third meeting the Chief Minister had Mr Vajpayee on this issue. He also drew the attention of the Prime Minister to certain “contradictory and confusing press reports regarding the process of restoration is matter of serious concern.”

Mr Badal also requested the Prime Minister to remove “discrimination” against Punjab in the devolution of funds. He said of the Rs 2,500 crore earmarked for rural roads from the cess imposed on diesel, Punjab has been allocated only Rs 5.12 crore.

He said the allocation as “arbitrary and unjust” especially when about 8 per cent of the total petroleum consumption takes place in the state.

Mr Badal was accompanied by former Union Minister Surjit Singh Barnala and Punjab minister, Gobind Singh Kanjhala.

Highlighting the discriminatory policies of the previous governments, Mr Badal said whereas the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) maintained about 20,000 km of roads in the border areas all over the country, Punjab is neglected. It is surprising that the BRO maintains only about 50 km of roads despite the fact that Punjab’s international border is sensitive. Mr Badal also highlighted the problems being faced by the people inhabiting the border areas of Punjab.