Addressing a rural gathering at Pangrain village in Faridkot district after laying the foundation stone of Rs 10 lakh rural stadium, Rs 40 lakh storm water channel and Rs 7 lakh community centre, Badal said the state government had given top priority to the education sector.

The setting up of the Baba Farid Medical Research University at Faridkot is a step towards spread of education in the rural areas, he added. The Union Minister said that the state government had decided to approach HUDCO and some other financial institutions for funding the installation of tubewells to provide potable water in the rural areas.

Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Gujarat Ambuja has agreed to set up a Rs 300 crore cement factory at Bathinda of which Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would lay the foundation stone on September 6.

The Centre has already cleared Rs 16000 crore oil refinary project at Bathinda Rs 1600 crore urea fertilizer factory would be set up at Sangrur.

The Union Minister also said that the Centre and the state government were persuading the NRIs to come to Punjab for setting up industries of their choice and export-oriented units.

Faridkot: Sukhbir Badal today assured a financial assistance from the Centre to the Punjab government for setting up of tubewells in rural areas in this district where people were facing acute shortage of drinking water.

At a high level meeting held here, Union Minister of State assured Public Health Minister Raja Narinder Singh of adequate financial assistance from the Centre for the setting up of tubewells and other arrangements to enable the people in the rural areas of the district for getting safe and sufficient drinking water. The meeting was attended by Public Health Secretary and senior officials of Public Health and Irrigation Departments.

A large number of rural people had yesterday approached the Union Minister of State, when he visited Golewal village in this district, and brought to his notice their plight of non-availability of potable drinking water.