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• Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today accused the Central government of delaying the sanction of development projects in the state.Speaking to mediapersons after dedicating to the people the four-lane road along Sidhwan Canal, Badal said that undue delays created by various Union ministries, including Forest Ministry, were resulting in cost escalation of projects.He said that the Rs 416 crore Sidhwan Canal project would have been fully operational if Union Forest Ministry had not withheld the forest clearance.Similarly, the file of Chandigarh-Bathinda six-lane project had been awaiting the clearance of Union Surface Transport Minister for the last 15 months, he said.
• "But Amarinder Singh was putting pressure on Union Minister not to clear any fresh project for Punjab," he alleged.The deputy chief minister alleged that the Congress-led UPA government was suffering from "policy paralysis" and every policy decision was in cold storage.Badal claimed that the Punjab government had provided regular employment to 1.17 lakh youths including 20,000 in police and 70,000 in education department.Blaming the Union government for delaying sanctioning of Ludhiana Metro project, Badal said the Centre was "playing with the sentiments" of the people of Punjab.Earlier, Badal flagged off Rs 65 crore Ludhiana City Bus service by putting a first fleet of 10 buses on road and announced that the remaining buses including 50 AC buses would be operational within next four months.

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