Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu’s meeting with PM Modi sparks speculation amid calls for special package for Punjab

On Friday, Bittu, the Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, shared a bid of photographs from the gathering connected X, writing: “Honored to conscionable Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. @narendramodi ji astatine his residence. Shared my joyousness implicit India’s caller triumph implicit Pakistan and commended his exemplary enactment successful handling pugnacious situations with grace and determination.”

“Discussed cardinal initiatives for Punjab’s development, focusing connected maturation and prosperity for our state. Prime Minister Modi besides shared his thoughts connected the existent spiritual and governmental scenery successful Punjab and the way ahead. During the meeting, I presented 2 books to the Prime Minister — Guru Nanak’s Blessed Trail and The Golden Temple — some symbolizing the essence of Sikhism and the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji,” Bittu further wrote.

According to sources, Bittu raised the long-standing request for a peculiar bundle for Punjab, underlining the state’s vulnerability arsenic a borderline state. He pointed retired that Punjab shares a 553 km borderline with Pakistan, covering six districts — Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Ferozepur, and Fazilka — and remains astatine the forefront successful times of conflict. Highlighting the socio-economic challenges successful these areas, helium projected that youths from borderline districts beryllium fixed relaxations successful Army recruitment norms, sources said.

Bittu reportedly besides pitched a important improvement connection — the instauration of a canal strategy successful Punjab’s Doaba and Majha regions, akin to that successful Malwa. He emphasised the request to utilise the waters of rivers Beas and Ravi to trim dependence connected groundwater and forestall its overexploitation, sources added.

Another important contented discussed was the upcoming bypoll successful the Ludhiana West Assembly constituency. Bittu briefed Prime Minister Modi astir the strategical value of the seat, revealing that the BJP had secured the highest fig of votes successful this constituency during the caller Lok Sabha polls, adjacent though it yet mislaid the spot to Congress’s Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.

The BJP had led successful six of the 9 Assembly segments successful Ludhiana but failed to unafraid agrarian votes successful Gill, Dakha, and Jagraon segments, starring to its defeat. The enactment is yet to denote a campaigner for the bypoll, and Bittu stressed the constituency’s value to the Prime Minister, said reliable sources.

Notably, this gathering assumes added value arsenic the BJP continues to conflict with popularity successful Punjab, and immoderate nonstop engagement by Prime Minister Modi with a Punjab-based curate is seen arsenic a important governmental gesture. Bittu is presently the Rajya Sabha subordinate from Rajasthan, though helium is based successful Punjab.

PM Modi had precocious visited the Adampur airbase successful Punjab connected May 13, pursuing a ceasefire betwixt India and Pakistan, to boost the morale of aerial unit personnel. His sojourn was intimately followed by calls from Punjab residents for a peculiar bundle from the Centre, fixed the state’s high-risk presumption owed to its dense colonisation and proximity to the planetary border.

The propulsion for specified a bundle was formally made by Jakhar during the all-party gathering successful Chandigarh connected May 10, which was attended by Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and different governmental leaders. Jakhar stated that each parties unanimously supported the request for a peculiar economical bundle to compensate for losses successful commercialized and concern caused by the caller conflict.

“Punjab has ever stood connected the frontlines and borne the brunt successful each war. This clip too, beyond nonaccomplishment of life, commercialized and concern person been deed hard. A bundle is urgently needed to mitigate these losses,” Jakhar said.