JALANDHAR: Claiming that the land acquisition process in the state was most peaceful, Sukhbir Badal, President of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday said that union government should take lesson from Punjab in this regard.

"After SAD-BJP took over in Punjab, more than 7,000 acre of land was acquired and there was no protest from farmers because ample compensation was given to them", Junior Badal told reporters while giving detail of the land acquisition in the state.

Be it Singur, Haryana or any other state, everywhere farmers protested against the land acquisition causing obstruction in the industrial growth of the country, but in Punjab the acquisition process was very peaceful, unlike in the previous rule of congress in the state, when there was massive protest launched by the farmers against the land acquisition in Malwa region of the state, Sukhbir added.

He revealed that land acquisition process for constructing an express high way between Jalandhar and Mohali Airport was already on and the project would begin by January 2009.

Even land acquisition process to construct Pathankot-Ajmer express high way would also begin soon and after the completion of project, exporters of Punjab would be able to transport their goods directly to Kandla Dry port through a shortest possible route, Sukhbir claimed.

Making a scathing attach on union government, Sukhbir accused the former for creating virtual financial chaos. Be it controlling of inflation, plight of stock exchange, UPA government has proved big failure and to divert the attention of people from its failure, centre was trying to get credit of Indo-US Nuclear treaty.

Asked whether the state government would stake its claim for installation of Nuclear Power Plant in the state, Sukhbir said "since Punjab is a border-state, it will not be safe to install a Nuclear Power Plant in the state".