M A I N   N E W S

What has SAD-BJP done for Punjab, asks Manmohan
Jangveer Singh and Anirudh Gupta
Tribune News Service

Congress candidate Jagmeet Brar receives blessings from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a rally at Jalalabad in Ferozepur on Saturday. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Mohsinha Kidwai are also seen in the picture. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Jalalabad (Ferozepur), May 2
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here today thanked people for their warmth and requested them to ask the SAD-BJP government what it had done for the “kheti-pradhan” state which he said had got more money for its produce, fertilisers for lower price and chance of better life for its children during the UPA rule.

“Bukal di nig mil gayi, ruh nu nihal karan wali thand,” were the Prime Minister’s opening words at a rally organised here in support of Congress candidate Jagmeet Singh Brar.

He said the agri-economy-based state had benefited with the UPA government enhancing the price of wheat from Rs 630 per quintal to Rs 1,080 and that of paddy from Rs 590 to Rs 930 per quintal during its five- year rule. “Before this none had near-doubled the support price of foodgrains,” he said, adding that the price of fertilisers like urea and DAP had remain unchanged in five years and price of NPK fertiliser had been reduced by 18 per cent.

On the SAD, Dr Manmohan Singh said the party had done nothing to get the MSP of foodgrains when it was a partner in the NDA government. Similarly, he said the SAD which had not uttered a single word on waiving of agricultural loans, was now promising to waive all agricultural loans. “Was the SAD-BJP government sleeping till now or has it just woken up from sleep,” he said reminding people that the UPA government had waived agricultural loans worth Rs 70,000 crore. He said loans of 4.21 lakh farmers amounting to Rs 1,200 crore had been waived in Punjab. A Rs 25,000-crore national agriculture development scheme had also been initiated, he said.

On the projects cleared with central assistance, the Prime Minister said the basic infrastructure in Amritsar had been given a new lease of life with a Rs 3,151-crore scheme, including drinking water, drainage, local transport and road projects. He said other assistance included Rs 43 crore for the Khalsa heritage complex at Anandpur Sahib, four-laning of various roads, Rs 3,000 crore for the Ludhiana metro project, besides modernisation of the Amritsar airport and extension of the Chandigarh one.

The Prime Minister stressed that education needed to be mixed with technology and that work on the Ropar IIT had already started. He said two universities, including one at Bathinda, had been given central clearance as also had a bio-tech park at Mohail and Rs 100-crore special grant for PAU, Ludhiana.

On drug abuse and female foeticide, the PM said Rs 1,000 crore had been earmarked for skill development mission. He said he was a proud father of three girls and urged them to shun female foeticide.

People came to the rally from all parts of the constituency despite the scorching heat. Congress candidate Jagmeet Singh Brar touched PM’s feat to take his blessings. Legislators and senior Congressmen, including Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Sunil Jakhar, Bal Mukand Sharma, Mohinder Rinwa, Ravinder Singh Sandhu, Parminder Singh Pinky Hansraj Josan and Prakash Bhatti, welcomed the PM with ‘siropas’.

Earlier, Pradesh Congress acting president Lal Singh, Legislature party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, campaign committee president Amarinder Singh and AICC general secretary Mohsina Kidwai also addressed the rally.