Gurdaspur: Union Minister Ashwani Kumar on Saturday said there was no drought-like situation in Punjab as claimed by state Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
"Though drought-like situation is existing in parts of some states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and there were so far deficient rains, (but) there was no drought-like stuation in Punjab," he told reporters here.
Punjab government has on August 2 demanded a central package of Rs 2,380 crore from the Centre while describing the current weather conditions as "one of the worst monsoon failures" in recent history.
On the charge by SAD-BJP government that the Centre was meting out a step-motherly treatment to the state, Kumar, Minister of State for Science and Technology and Planning, said the Centre has released huge unds under various central schemes for development of the state.
"State government should make judicious use of money for all-round development," he said.
On alleged false cases registered against Congress workers at the behest of SAD leaders, Kumar said he had written to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to look into this matter.
On Team Anna's announcement about joining active politics, Kumar alleged the social activist was resorting to "emotional blackmail" of the public on the issue of corruption and Lok Pal Bill and now the people have started realsiing about the same as evident from the thin attendence at the venue of his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, August 04, 2012, 21:00