The Congress declared that it would seek votes for its candidate on the basis of the performance of the government in the past three years.

The Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, made a political attack on the Akalis especially the former chief minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, President SAD (B), by dubbing the Anandpur Sahib resolution-1973 passed by them as secessionist and the only factor which brought the economic development of Punjab to a complete halt.

State Congress chief H. S. Hanspal accused Mr Badal of betraying the Sikh sentiments by not completing the Galiara project around the Golden Temple. The project was launched by late Congress Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Deputy Chief Minister, alleged that the Akalis had always been playing with the sentiments of people.

Akalis, when in power, never bothered about the welfare of Punjab but when out of power, they always tried to disturb the atmosphere of the state, she said.

Mr Jagmeet Brar, who was specially invited by Mr Hanspal to attend the conference held in his hometown, was not invited to address the gathering.

Mr Brar left the venue before Captain Amarinder Singh completed his speech.

The others who attended the conference included Mr Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Mr Lal Singh, Mr Harminder Singh Jassi, Chairman, Markfed and office-bearers of the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

Captain Amarinder Singh, while lashing out at Mr Badal, said the Akali Dal led by him was always looking for an opportunity to create trouble in Punjab for their vested interests.

The passing of Anandpur Sahib resolution was one such example and they were still raising non-relevant issues which could cause a setback to the peace prevailing in the state.

The Chief Minister alleged that though Mr Badal claimed himself to be a champion of the farmers' cause, the spurious seeds of cotton and substandard pesticides, being manufactured by his (Mr Badal) close kin led to the situation where a large number of cotton growers committed suicide.

He announced that the Punjab Government had sent the amended Johal panel report to the Centre for its approval and the amended report was well received by the Ministry of Agriculture.

He added that when the Johal panel report was implemented in toto in the Punjab, the agriculture would become a paying proposition in the state.

He said the Punjab Government would try to decrease area under the paddy crop in its diversification programme. He tried to justified the falling prices of raw cotton this year due to its over production.

The Chief Minister claimed that, for the first time in the reorganised Punjab, the Congress government had managed to bring the private industrialists forward to invest Rs 10,000 crore in various projects.

Exports from the Punjab had been increasing every year and it had crossed five figures in crores in the current financial year, he said.

To boost the IT sector, the computer education had been introduced in the schools. Muktsar would be given all facilities to make it a model city, he promised.

He admitted that rural areas of Punjab could not be given 24-hour uninterrupted power supply as the generation of electricity had come down significantly in the state.

He announced that tercentenary occasion of the supreme sacrifices made by the 40 Muktas would be celebrated by organising a state- level function in this town in May 2005.

The CM added that Punjab Government had created a social security fund to the tune of Rs 450 crore to ensure timely payment of pension to all sections of the society.

He declared the Punjab Government would leave no stone unturned to provide basic amenities to the people of Punjab.

Captain Amarinder Singh, after paying his obeisance at Gurudwara Tutti Gandi Sahib, unveiled the statue of Dr B. R Ambedkar, inaugurated the 66 KV grid substation and formally launched the web internet service in the Deputy Commissioner's office.