SAD: 20 lakh jobs, farm debt waiver

Minna Zutshi

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 24

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) unveiled its 52-page manifesto for the 2017 Assembly elections today, focusing on infrastructure, job creation and agriculture.

 With sops for various sections, the SAD manifesto promised to make agriculture a sustainable profession, besides revolutionising rural and urban infrastructure.

Seeking votes on performance and development, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed the party has delivered on the promises made in its earlier manifestos.

“In the next five years, our ‘basic’ agenda would be to make infrastructure in Punjab world-class,” said Sukhbir, while unveiling the vision document that promised 20 lakh jobs for youth.

To woo farmers, the manifesto made a slew of promises like waiving debts of all small farmers with landholding up to 2.5 acres. “The SAD-BJP government would give a fertiliser input incentive of Rs 100 per quintal on both wheat and paddy over and above the minimum support price (MSP). All small farmers will also be eligible for a Rs 2 lakh interest-free crop loan,” said Sukhbir. Other promises included tubewell to all farmers, 10-hour daytime free power and 10 per cent calamity relief for farm labour. On the infrastructure front, Sukhbir promised to complete all expressways under

construction in the state within a year. “The villages in the state will be at par with the urban sector,” he said. Other promises included 100 per cent water supply, sewerage facilities, cemented streets and solar lights in all 12,000 villages, besides making all link roads 18-foot wide. 

Claiming that controlling crime and drugs was a priority, Sukhbir promised to install CCTV cameras at all entry and exit points of villages and cities to check crime. He said Pakistan was supplying drugs and a special border area force would be constituted to form a second line of defence to check infiltration. “Rehabilitation centres would be upgraded,” he said.

Assurances in Akali Dal manifesto for Punjab polls

• Mega complexes for industry
• 5-kg sugar at Rs 10 per kg
• 2-kg ghee for Rs 25 per kg
• Fertiliser incentive of Rs 100 per quintal
• 10-hour daytime power for farmers
• All link roads to be made 18 feet wide
• Shagun Scheme Rs 51,000 from Rs 15,000
• Welfare pension up from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 pm
• Taxis for 50,000 youth with no down-payment
• Free gas connections to Blue Card holders
• CCTV cameras at all village entry, exit points
• Drug rehabilitation centres to be upgraded
• Special border area force to be set up
• Government gaushala in every constituency