Pak won’t hesitate to nuke India if faced with defeat: Amarinder
AMRITSAR : Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said a desperate Pakistan would not hesitate from using its nuclear arsenal against India if faced with an imminent defeat in a conventional war.
Speaking to mediapersons at the Durgiana Temple in Amritsar where he performed kar Sewa, Amarinder said both the two countries are nuclear powers and cannot afford a full-scale war. “It’s not in either country’s interest to use the weapons of destruction. But Islamabad could indulge in such a misadventure if faced with defeat,” he said.
The CM, who was accompanied by school education minister OP Soni, revenue minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla, said the Indian Air Force (IAF)’S strikes at a terror launch pad has proven country’s resolve to deal with the problem. Local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who represents the Amritsar (East) segment in the Punjab assembly, was conspicuous by his absence.
Refusing to comment on the number of terrorists killed in the strikes, he said, “No matter how many were killed, the message has gone out loud and clear – that India will not let the killing of its soldiers and innocent citizens go unpunished.”
The CM announced ₹1 crore for the development of the Durgiana Temple. Kar sewa at the sacred pool (sarovar) of temple was performed on the occasion of Mahashivratri after 20 years. This is third kar sewa to clean the sarovar, in which lakhs of devotees from around the world are expected to participate. The earlier ones were held in 1999 and 1975.
₹197.69 CR WATER SUPPLY, SEWERAGE PROJECTS LAUNCHED
The CM also laid the foundation stones of three surface water supply schemes at village Chawinda Kalan in Amritsar district, besides a domestic sewage treatment plant, worth ₹197.69 crores.
He underlined the responsibility of the state to save water for the coming generations.
The government would take the help of all financial organisations to ensure that canal/river water is supplied to the people for drinking purpose, he added. He announced to upgrade Lopoke sub-tehsil and a new degree college for Chogwan.
STONES OF 7 PROJECTS LAID IN HOSHIARPUR
Amarinder Singh laid the foundation stones of seven development projects worth ₹150 crore in the Hoshiarpur assembly constituency on Monday and also announced the sub-tehsil status for Sham Chaurasi.
The projects include a tertiary cancer care centre in the city that was hanging fire for five years. Former Union minister Santosh Chowdhary had laid the stone of the hospital on the old TB hospital premises before the last Lok Sabha elections but it could not make any progress due to change of guard at the Centre. Chowdhary was accompanying the CM when he digitally laid the stone of the proposed unit.
Besides the cancer unit, the CM laid stones of a multi-purpose indoor hall at the outdoor stadium, a food street, a new library, railway over bridge (ROB) on the Phagwara road, a girls’ hostel for students of government college and a community centre.
The ROB will be constructed at a cost of ₹81 crore, with the state share of ₹35.6 crore, he said.
The CM said the government intended to make Punjab an education hub by establishing worldclass institutions with international tie-ups. “Our youths are running to other countries to study and find jobs but we want them to stay back and pursue their dreams closer home,” he added. He said, “Let the industrial houses come here and pick the talented youths rather than the latter go out in search of jobs.”
PWD minister Vijay Inder Singla was also present on the occasion.