CHANDIGARH, July 20: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today described the decision of Prime Minister IK Gujral to waive off Rs 8,500-crore special term loan extended to the State as the beginning of a new era of hope for Punjab and the country.Expressing his gratitude and indebtedness to the Prime Minister for providing this relief at a news conference here, Badal said the Prime Minister was categoric on loan waiver and he had directed the authorities to take the follow-up action at the earliest. The meeting was attended by 16 senior administrative secretaries.``I have no reason to doubt the sincerity of the Prime Minister,'' Badal said, when pointed out that former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao had also made a similar announcement but only the repayment of one installment of the loan was deferred. He said with this gesture by the Prime Minister, it had been conceded that Punjab had fought nation's battle against militancy.Badal said the Prime Minister had agreed to head the high-level committee to be set up to celebrate 300th anniversary of the birth of the Khalsa in 1999. He said the museum depicting Sikh history would be set up in 250 acres at Anandpur Sahib, which would be designed by a renowned architect from Israel.The Chief Minister said Gujral had also conceded the demand to upgrade Amritsar airport to international standard with cargo facility. The State Government would provide 120 acres of land for the expansion of the existing air port. Direct flight from Amritsar to Birmingham would start soon, he said.Badal said apart from allocating Rs 250 crore for the completion of Ranjit Sagar dam in addition to Rs 100 crore already issued, Gujral had agreed to divert major share of electricity to be imported from Pakistan to Punjab.He said steps would be taken to link Chandigarh with Morinda at the earliest, as Gujral had assured that this project should be treated as cleared.About the candidature of former Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala, MP, for the office of the Vice-President of the country, Badal said his party had requested all the political parties to extend him support.
