Ahead of manifesto, 9-point agenda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 25

Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh today launched a nine-point action plan for the progress and development of the state. Launched under the slogan of “Nawan naraon Punjab layee, Captain de naun nukte”, the agenda aims at building all-new Punjab.

The agenda

• To ensure that Punjab’s water is used for the state and not diverted at any cost
• Commitment to wipe out the drug menace within four weeks
• Time-bound employment scheme to provide jobs to at least one person each family in five years, with Rs2,500 per month unemployment allowance to the jobless in the interim period
• Waiver of agricultural debt of farmers
• Policy to facilitate traders and industrialists with measures such as affordable electricity
• 33 per cent reservation for women in jobs, educational institutions and allotment of residential and commercial plots in all categories
• Free housing for all homeless SCs — free houses or 5 marla plots to be given to eligible homeless SCs with financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh
• Reservation for OBCs in jobs to be raised from 12 per cent to 15 per cent and in educational institutions from 5 per cent to 10 per cent
• Creation of a new department of ex-servicemen to function as guardians of governance at the grass-roots to oversee implementation of government schemes