Hoshiarpur (The Stellar News): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced formation of a separate ministry for Kandi Area Development once the SAD-BSP alliance formed the next government in the State.
The SAD President made this announcement during his visit to Dasuya, Urmur Tanda and Hoshiarpur constituencies during the course of which former SAD minister Balbir Singh Miani rejoined the party along with his supporters. The event also witnessed Miani joining hands with SAD Halqa Incharge Arvinder Singh Rasulpur and BSP candidate from Urmar Lakhwinder Singh Lakhi in a public show of solidarity during the course of which all three leaders assured to work unitedly for the victory of the alliance candidate.
The SAD President also inaugurated a house made for slum dwellers here by SAD- BSP Hoshiarpur candidate and social worker Varinder Parhar’s NGO Home for Homeless. He assured the people that the next SAD-BSP government would construct five lakh houses for the homeless.
Mr Sukhbir Badal while assuring formation of a separate ministry for Kandi Area Development, said the area had been neglected by the Congress government. “No effort had been made to augment drinking water and irrigation projects. Even infrastructure is not in place. A separate ministry for the Kandi area will ensure focused development of the entire sub-mountainous area”, he added.
The SAD President, when queried said it was shocking that AAP Convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had adopted double standards even on the issue of current crisis in the power sector. “On the one hand Kejriwal had announced that Delhi had become the only State which was not using coal for generating power. However Kejriwal has recently written a letter to the Prime Minister asking the latter to divert coal from other thermal plants and supply the same to two thermal plants supplying power to Delhi”. He said earlier also Kejriwal had adopted an anti- Punjab stand on both the Satluj- Yamuna Link Canal and stubble burning issue. “The Delhi government even gave an affidavit in the Supreme Court demanding four power plants in Punjab be shut down”. Mr Badal also ridiculed the so called guarantees being given by Kejriwal saying the latter had reneged on even holy oaths taken on the heads of his children and could not be trusted to honour any guarantee.
When asked about the power crisis in the State, he said it was a direct result of mismanagement of the power sector by the Congress government. He said the Congress had failed to augment the power sector in the last five years by the much needed 3500 mega watts at the rate of 700 mw per year keeping in view the annual increase in demand. Mr Badal said a lot had been said about the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) signed by the SAD led government at Rs 2.85 per unit. “Only yesterday the Congress government has purchased power at Rs 14.46 per unit”.
Speaking about chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, the SAD President said the former was part of the cabinet which had denied SC scholarship to deserving students. He said similarly Channi was party to decision to scrap lakhs of blue cards denying subsidised ration facilities to the poor.
Speaking at Miani village, former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said the complete unity in SAD- BSP ranks and the joint campaign of the alliance would result in a complete sweep of the alliance in all seven seats of the district.
SAD- BSP candidates from Urmar, Dasuya and Hoshiarpur- Lakhwinder Singh Lakhi, Sushil Kumar Pinky Sharma and Varinder Parhar also spoke on the occasion besides BSP general secretary Gurlal Saila.
Others present included Bibi Jagir Kaur, Lakhbir Singh lodhinangal, Arvinder Singh Rasoolpur, Sohan singh Thandal, Sarbjot Singh Sabi, Harjinder Singh Dhami, Jatinder Singh Lali Bajwa and Varinder Singh Bajwa. EOM
