NDA-ruled Punjab will get lessons from Union minister Jairam Ramesh on issues relating to administration of rural development programmes of the Centre and the states, as he is scheduled to address the legislators in the state Assembly on Saturday.
While Mr Ramesh got the invitation for rare honours for sharing a special bonhomie with Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, the state unit of the Congress was apparently surprised at the development.
“I will address the Punjab Assembly on Saturday. I will be speaking to the MLAs on issues concerning rural development,” Mr Ramesh said.
A day before Mr Ramesh left for Punjab, he wrote a letter to the state chief minister, with promises to take up issues raised by Mr Badal on a priority basis. A total of 2,000-km-long road connectivity for Punjab under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), with `800 crores Central allocation is soon likely to be approved.
However, the Congress Legislative Party leader in Punjab Sunil Kumar Jakhar is said to have rushed to Delhi against Mr Ramesh’s earlier programme in which he was scheduled to visit areas of the ruling Badal family mostly.
In a bid to buy peace with the faction-ridden Congress unit in the state, sources said, the revised programme of the Union minister has included his visits to Mr Jakhar and other senior Congress leaders also.
Mr Ramesh appears to have a special bond with Mr Badal, as the Punjab Assembly on September 30, 2011 had passed a resolution “This House thanks the Central environment minister, Shri Jai Ram Ramesh for his whole hearted assistance to the scheme to make the state of Punjab pollution free”.