CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday said that the border belt of Punjab, especially the districts of Ferozepur, Amritsar and Gurdaspur, would benefit immensely with the opening of the trade through the land route via Wagha.

Addressing a public rally in the grain market of Jalalabad town in the border district of Ferozepur, Capt. Singh said that the recent peace initiatives had fostered a feeling of goodwill, mutual trust and friendship among the people in both the States of Punjab besides enormously aiding the respective national governments to undertake confidence building measures.

Amid cheers, Capt. Singh pointed out that the commissioning of a direct bus service between Amritsar and Lahore and the proposed launch of another bus link between Amritsar and Nankana Sahib would prove to be another milestone in the history of improvement in relations between the two countries. The bus service between Amritsar in the Indian Punjab and Nankana Sahib located in Pakistani Punjab, which claim to be the holiest shrine of the Sikh community and the birth place of the founder of Sikhism respectively, is expected to be flagged off by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, on February 24.

The Chief Minister said the improvement in the Indo-Pak relations has resulted in major economic activity, when large industrial houses not only from India but abroad too, had evinced keen interest to set up mega projects in the border belt of the State. He said that these units are expected to generate a tremendous employment potential.

Outlining the overall development progress in the State, Capt. Singh said that economic stabilisation coupled with the pragmatic policies and programmes of the government had rejuvenated the confidence among the investors and entrepreneurs, who viewed Punjab among the most preferred investment destinations in the world. Consequently, 127 mega projects involving an investment of Rs. 53,000 crores had been cleared, while many had entered critical stages of implementation.

Capt. Singh said it was high time that the farmers switched over to diversification, as the conventional wheat-paddy rotation was not remunerative any more. Moreover, 72 percent of the State's farming community, which had less than four acres of land holding, diversification was the only answer to ensure better returns. He claimed that due to diversification and industrialisation, land prices had shown a phenomenal rise, which was evident from the fact that an average acre, which was sold for Rs 3 to 4 lakhs during previous Akali-BJP regime, now fetched about ten times more.

Lashing out at his predecessor and President of the Akali Dal, Parkash Singh Badal, for misleading the people Capt Singh was highly critical of the Opposition for creating misconceptions and apprehensions in the minds of farming community regarding the import of five lakh tonnes of wheat by the Centre. He clarified that this was only a stop gap arrangement for 20 days only.

The Chief Minister also categorically announced that there would be no deduction in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat. Rather, he along with the Chief Ministers of other wheat growing States like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh would urge to the Prime Minister to increase the MSP.

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