PATIALA: The newly elected Member of Parliament from the Patiala Lok Sabha seat, Sant Ram Singla, said here on Friday that an era of reconciliation must star in Punjab in order to bring peace and Prosperity in the state as the Punjabis had suffered much due to the policy of confrontation. Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Sant Ram Singla said the mandate of the people i favour of the Congress (I) candidates, both for the Vidhan Sabha and the Lok Sabha, had put a great responsibility on the Congress (I) to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Punjab. Singla said the fears of the people of Patiala, that the city might lose its importance if Chandigarh became the capital of Punjab were unfounded. The importance of Patiala city would be maintained and no government department of semi-government body would be shifted from Patiala to Chandigarh. Singla recalled that when erstwhile PEPSU state was merged with Punjab, the Central government had given an undertaking to the people that the importance of Patiala would be maintained and that government departments would remain in Patiala city,
Replying to a question as to what priority he would give for the development of the Patiala area, Singla said that a new rail link between Chandigarh to Narwana connecting Rajpura, Patiala, Paani and Khanuri had become imperative for the all-round development of this region.
Singla said Patiala would be linked by air to the important cities of the country and that fast trains and buses would be started with a view to connect Patiala with other states and with New Delhi.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 13, 1992
