LUDHIANA: Having a dig at the Akali-BJP government in the state for exhausting all its resources and energies on the Kabbadi tournament, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today wished that the government paid some attention to development and public welfare also.

Addressing a public meeting at village Dhandra in Gill assembly segment after laying the foundation stone of a road to be constructed under Prime Minister’s Gramin Saddak Yojana at a cost of about Rs 1.5 crores, Tewari said, organising sports tournaments was a good thing, but exhausting all the resources and energies on a single event is something unusual.

He pointed out, the entire government had come to a standstill during the last two weeks as everybody right from the Chief Minister to the Deputy Commissioners and SHOs were busy with holding Kabbadi matches. “This only betrays this government’s lack of concern for public welfare”, he observed, while referring to other pressing problems being faced by people which government has failed to address.

Referring to the recently concluded “investors’ meet”, Tewari said, it would have been much better had thePunjabgovernment also taken note of the problems being faced by the local industry. “While the state government is trying to invite the industry from outside, those inside Punjab are moving out as they have been finding it suffocating in Punjab”, he said while pointing towards the flight of several industrial units from Ludhiana and Mandi Gobindgarh to other places in the country.

The Union Minister said, people across the state were disillusioned with the state government and the Akali-BJP leadership was well aware about it. Hence it was trying to organise shows like Kabbadi tournament to divert the attention of people.

“However, let me tell them they can no longer befool people”, he asserted, while appealing people to teach the Akali-BJP alliance a lesson in the coming parliamentary elections. Among others present on the occasion included former minister Milkiat Singh Dakha, Pawan Dewan, Ranjit Mangat, Manjit Hambran, KK Bawa and others.