Complete flagship programmes within six months: Amarinder to state authorities

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Thursday issued directions for completing government's flagship programmes such as farm debt waiver within the next six months.

He also directed his cabinet colleagues to expedite the execution of various schemes and ordered the formation of consultative groups to review progress and make changes if needed.

The directions from the Singh came at the beginning of a cabinet meeting here, after his cabinet colleagues congratulated him for Congress's victory in eight of total 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, according to an officials statement.

Expressing satisfaction that the Congress bucked the national trend in the state despite the Narendra Modi wave, Singh pointed out that Punjab was the only state where the Congress was in direct contest with the BJP and its allies, as in other states the party had forged alliances.

However, he struck a note of caution, saying there was no time to rest on laurels and they all had to work even harder now to meet the .