The Punjab government has made a case for ?Special National Zone? for the entire hostile border belt with Pakistan demanding compensation for development of the area in view of the sacrifices made by the people ?in the overall national interest.?
In a letter sent to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, the Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has said while devolving central funds to different states, the Centre should ensure that these were ?commensurate with the contribution of each state?. He has demanded that 10% weightage should be accorded to the international border while devising an objective formulate for devolving funds to the states.
Sources in the CM?s office told FE on Wednesday that the CM has observed in the letter that Punjab deserved special treatment as it was hoping for massive trade with Pakistan after it opened Attari boder. With the opening of trade route with Pakistan through road via Attari Border, Pakistan government was importing vegetables from Punjab to control the rates of vegetables in Pakistan. Similarly cement was being imported from Pakistan through road route, stabilising the cement prices this side.
It was only on October 1 last year that Badal had flagged off first truck full of tomatoes from Attari International Airport to Pakistan signaling motorised trade opening. It was to save time and money as goods from Punjab were earlier routed from Punjab via Kandla-Dubai-Karachi. However, terror strikes in Mumbai had cast an adverse effect on the trade links and cast a shadow on trade between Punjab and Pakistan.
In the letter, Badal has observed that terror strikes in Mumbai were already having an adverse spiral economic effect on Punjab because of this mounting tension on the border. Punjab was hoping to step up trade actively through Attari border but reports of movement of Pakistani troops towards the border would dampen these hopes.
He has also asked the PM that Centre should provide grant of Rs 2,055 crore over a period of five years for provision and maintenance of social and economic infrastructure in 18 out of 42 Blocks of the four districts of Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran situated along the active 553 km international border with Pakistan under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP). India was providing around Rs 20 crore for creation, improvement and maintenance of infrastructure.