JALANDHAR (TIP): Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on April 10 said work in Gujarat was visible more as it started from a very low level on development index while Punjab had already reached a saturation point. Trying to explain reasons for Punjab not emerging as a model, Badal said, “Gujarat started from a very low level on development index while Punjab had already reached a saturation point.”

He was reacting to a question on if Gujarat could develop despite Congress government at the Centre, why not Punjab as the CM was blaming Congress government at the Centre for all ills of Punjab. Asked if the talk of Gujarat model was hollow in that case, Badal said he (Modi) did a good job but the main reason for visible development was that it started from a low level.

But he added Gujarat was always considered among the better states in the country on industrialization and development fronts and was never considered very low like Bihar, MP, Rajasthan and UP. Addressing a meeting of industrialists, he blamed Congress government at the centre for all ills of Punjab which was discriminating against Punjab and was not giving enough funds. He had said that if Modi became PM there would be no dearth of funds.