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Journalism of Courage
In a meeting with Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia last week, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal conveyed to the Centre his wish to set up a new greenfield airport in the state.
A proposal for a greenfield airport (in Ludhiana) has been pending with the Centre for a while, and it is learnt that the Centre would consider Badal’s proposal if there are no objections from other parties, especially from the Defence establishment. Although the meeting between Badal and Ahluwalia was informal, it sets the agenda for the state’s future plans. The official meeting is scheduled for later this month.
Apart from setting up a greenfield airport, the Punjab Government also urged the Centre to work out ways so that farmers in the state could make better use of agricultural land, which currently lies between the fence and the actual border with Pakistan. In order to address this concern, Badal wanted the Centre to increase the compensation amount given to farmers who worked on the other side of the border fence.
Sources said the meet between Badal and Ahluwalia mainly focused on infrastructure development and developmental programmes in the state. Badal also urged the Centre to extend the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan from class VIII to class XII.
