Punjab govt asks Centre to bring back black money

Punjab government today asked Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to take effective steps for bringing back blackmoney stashed away in foreign banks, as per the record available with his ministry.

The SAD-BJP government has been demanding from the Centre that it should immediately bring back the ill gotten money hidden in foreign banks so that it could be judiciously utilised for funding welfare schemes for millions of poor across the country, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said here.

"If UPA government does not initiate any prompt action in this regard, our MPs will be forced to take up this matter in the forthcoming Winter Session of the Parliament," he said at a rally after laying down the foundation stone of a Rs 102 crore bridge to be built over Satluj river.

Listing achievements of the state government in areas of power, infrastructure, health and education, Badal appealed to the people to elect this government for another term.

The Chief Minister announced setting up of an ultra modern silo at a cost of Rs 100 crore at Patti for storage of food grains and added that Patti-Khemkaran Road would be widened and strengthened at a cost of Rs5 crore.