Patiala, Aug 15 (IANS): Punjab's contribution to the country's freedom struggle was the maximum with nearly 80 percent of the freedom fighters being from the state, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said during his Independence Day address Friday.

Badal, who unfurled the national flag at the Yadvindra Public School ground here, said that Punjabis made sacrifices for the country's freedom despite having just two percent of its population.

He said that watershed movements and big names among freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Udham Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha and many others led from the front for the country's freedom.

Urging people to take a pledge to make Punjab a vibrant and progressive state, Badal said the state needed to be freed from evils like drug menace and unemployment.

"Valiant Punjabis had inherited the spirit of self sacrifice and patriotism from Guru Nanak Dev ji and other gurus who had waged a relentless battle against injustice, tyranny and oppression to safeguard the human rights of the innocent and helpless people," Badal said.

He said that the Punjab government was setting up a world class 'Jang-e-Azaadi' memorial near Jalandhar at a cost of Rs.200 crore to showcase the unparalleled contribution of freedom fighters.

Meanwhile in Haryana, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Friday said that the state would have state-of-the-art infrastructure, latest healthcare and education facilities, rapid industrialisation, maximum job opportunities for the youth and augmented drinking water supply in villages.

Addressing the gathering in Panipat city after unfurling the national flag, Hooda said that Haryana had emerged as the front-runner among states in terms of development.

In Chandigarh, the national flag was unfurled by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj Patil. He sought the cooperation of people in making Chandigarh a world class city.