STATE GOVERNMENT TO KEEP BUDGETARY PROVISIONS FOR MEGA MEDICAL CAMPS- CM

Mansa, November 4-safalsochnew/ Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal today said that after realizing the overwhelming response to the Mega Medical Camps being organized in the state, the SAD-BJP government would keep budgetary provisions from the next fiscal year for holding more such camps.

            Talking to the media persons on the concluding day of two-day Mega Medical Camp here today, the Chief Minister said that in wake of the whopping expenditure incurred on holding such camps it was necessary to make such provisions so as to ably conduct this philanthropic cause. He said that from the coming financial year the state government would ensure that separate funds are kept in the budget for organizing these camps in an efficient manner. Mr Badal said that such camps were instrumental in providing quality Health services to the people at their doorsteps on one hand and to trace the thrust area of fatal diseases prevalent in various parts of the state on the other.

            The Chief Minister reiterated that proper record of the patients registered in these Mega Health camps was being maintained adding that the patients, which have been referred for advanced treatment after the diagnose in such camps, would be provided the requisite financial help by the state government. He categorically said that the whole process was very beneficial for the state government as it helps in planning the kind of focus required to be paid by them for eradicating any disease prevalent in a specific area. Mr Badal further said that the state government was committed to upgrade the Health infra structure in the state for which recruitment process of the specialist doctors was already in the pipeline.

            Replying to a query, the Chief Minister said that the state government was well aware about the vast potential of developing industries in the various regions of the state due to which an Industrial policy, which was likely to be unveiled early next year, was being framed by them. He said that under the new industrial policy thrust would be laid on developing industries in various regions of the state in accordance to the agricultural produce of the area. Subsequently he said that Cotton textile parks would come up in the cotton belt of the Malwa region, Maize and Agro-Forestry parks in Doaba region and Sugarcane parks in the Majha region of the state. Mr Badal said that the planning of developing these parks have been made after examining the cropping pattern prevalent in all the three regions of the state.

The Chief Minister said that the coming Industrial policy would not only help in giving much required fillip to the industrialization of the state but would also encourage the farmers to adopt crop diversification thereby bailing them out of the vicious cycle of wheat/paddy cultivation, which have proved detrimental for the natural resources of the state.   

            Holding the anti-farmer policies of the Union government responsible for the plight of Agriculture in the state, the Chief Minister said that the centre have never bothered to provide remunerative MSP to the peasantry for their agricultural produce due to which they were in distress. He said that the non-fixation of the MSP of wheat and the nominal MSP on Cotton reflected the complete insensitivity of the Union government towards the farmers. Lashing out at the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), Mr Badal said that due to the dismayed performance of this agency, entrusted with the job of lifting the cotton from designated markets, the miseries of the cotton growers have increased manifolds.

The Chief Minister said that the agency was not conducting the operations aggressively and timely due to which the cotton growers were facing plethora of problems. Likewise he said that the CCI officials were not visiting all the 45 designated cotton markets of the state and were merely doing eyewash by visiting around 17-18 markets. Mr Badal said that he would bring all these things in the notice of the Union Agriculture Minister Mr Sharad Pawar in the coming days.    

Replying to the queries of the media persons Lok Sabha MP from Bathinda Mrs Harsmirat Kaur Badal said that the commendable step of the state government to organize such Medical camps have drawn massive response from the people. She said that the active co-operation and help of the people was required for the success of these camps adding that it was a matter of great satisfaction that a large number of people have took the benefit of this camp. Mrs Badal reiterated that the Punjab government was committed for eradicating cancer from the state and in a major relief to the cancer patients the state government has given free transport facility to them for getting treated in the cancer hospitals.

Earlier the Chief Minister accompanied by Mrs Harsimrat Kaur Badal laid down the foundation stone of a drug de-addiction centre to come up at village Khayala Kalan at cost of Rs 40 lakh. Later on both the leaders also visited a combined Fish and Pig farm at village Malikpur Khayala.

Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Cabinet Minister Mr Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mrs Navjot Kaur Sidhu and Bibi Mohinder Kaur Josh, Rajya Sabha MP Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder, MLAs Mr Chatin Singh Samao and Mr Prem Mittal, former MLA Mr Mangat Rai Bansal, Principal Secretary Health Mrs Vinnie Mahajan and Principal Secretary Medical Education Mrs Anjali Bhanwra.