Akalis misused Central funds for water bodies, says Jakhar

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Shahkot (Jalandhar), May 24

State Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Thursday took on SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal while canvassing for Congress candidate Hardev Singh Laddi.

Addressing rallies at Punia and Maheru villages, Jakhar said: “Sukhbir’s visit to muskmelon fields at Shahkot was a sham. We all have seen how his government dealt with the fake pesticide case that led to massive destruction of cotton crop because of whitefly attack on 12 lakh acres.”

On the sidelines of the rallies, he told the media, “Sukhbir, who has been raising his voice on the environment issue, has to answer to the people of Punjab as to where is an amount of nearly Rs 2,000 crore which he had sought from the then Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in 2010. Even then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had said Punjab had got 22 per cent share out of the total country’s allocation. Where has that money gone? The condition of the Budha Nullah and other polluted sections remains the same.”

He said, “Besides, Rs 2,246 crore was received from the Centre for sub-soil waterlogging in Muktsar. The Badals just cannot say anything. I wish a healthy debate get started in some university on the issue once the politically charged Shahkot bypoll atmosphere gets over.”

Jakhar further hit out at the SAD chief saying, “Sukhbir must explain as to why all his private hotels and his transport companies are doing a roaring business and the state-run tourism resorts and PRTC remained non-viable.”

Merge PPCB, Environment Dept: Sidhu

Local Bodies Minister Navjot Sidhu, who accompanied Jakhar to four rallies on Thursday, said to resolve the water pollution problem, the Punjab Pollution Control Board should be merged with the Environment Department and given more powers. On National Green Tribunal taking up the water pollution case, he said, “For years, the Centre has been claiming to clean the Ganga and Yamuna, but it is not that easy. We need a lot of money, devotion and technical manpower. We cannot clean 200 years’ filth in two days.”

All in a day

• Punjab Youth Congress, led by Amarpreet Lally, held a rally at Shahkot
• The SC wings of SAD and Cong entered into blame game on Dalit issues and held back-to-back press conferences
• Congress candidate Hardev Singh Laddi tells people that his name on EVM is on the top and he wishes so even during the results
• Minister Navjot Sidhu continued attack on the Badal clan with more aggressive tone on the second day of his campaign
• Jakhar and other party leaders to hold protest on fuel hike in Jalandhar on Friday