Decision on Punjab chief ministerial face to be taken by BJP parliamentary board, says Hardeep Puri

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, February 4

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance on Friday gave 12 commitments to the people of Punjab, as it seeks the mandate for the Punjab polls scheduled for February 20.

In a bid to woo farmers, who have been antagonistic towards the BJP because of the three contentious (now withdrawn) farm laws, the NDA has promised to grant MSP on fruits, vegetables, pulses and oilseeds, besides granting a Rs 5,000 crore annual budget for promoting crop diversification in the state, among 11 other commitments made on Friday.

Getting into the “dole race”, the alliance also announced 300 units of free power to all, power supply to MSMEs at Rs 4 per unit, increase in allowances to anganwari workers to Rs 10,000 and increase in compensation to ASHA workers to Rs 6,000; social security pensions to the old, widows and physically challenged to be enhanced to Rs 3,000; setting up of ‘Guru Kripa’ canteens for the poor to give food to the needy at Rs 5 per meal; pucca houses for all; and, enhancing compensation to the martyrs from defence forces to Rs 1 crore and a job for their kin. They also announced that those consuming over 300 units of power would pay tariff at Rs 3 per unit.

Announcing these commitments by the alliance, Union Minister and Punjab election incharge Hardeep Puri, flanked by Punjab Lok Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Ashwani Sharma, president of state unit of BJP, said that unlike other political parties, the commitments made by them would be honoured. He reiterated that this new alliance, unlike the previous bad marriage they had with the Shiromani Akali Dal, was strong and much needed for peace and harmony in the state.

Interestingly, though Puri ducked the question as to who will be the chief ministerial face of the alliance, categorically denied the statement made by Manjinder Singh Sirsa regarding Capt Amarinder Singh not being the CM face. “The decision on the CM face is to be taken by the BJP Parliamentary Board. The BJP is a disciplined party and decisions are taken by the Board. The opinion expressed by Sirsa could be his personal view,” he said.

The commitments made by the BJP include an assured peaceful and harmonious environment; doing away with the sand, liquor mafia; eradicating drug abuse; providing employment opportunities to all; farmer welfare through guaranteed MSP, allotment of one lakh acre shamlatland to landless growers; upgradation in health care infrastructure at village level; quality education for all with smart schools, government colleges in each tehsil and vocational tracing to be imparted, besides emphasis on skill development; creating an industrial revolution through simplification of tax structure, VAT refunds, overall development of Punjab; women empowerment and 33 per cent reservation for them in police jobs besides a slew of sops for the underprivileged.

Puri said a Border Area Development Commission and a Lala Lajpat Rai MSME Development Centre would be set up. “We will achieve all this in just two years…this is our article of faith,” he said.

Training his guns at the Aam Aadmi Party, he rued that they were flaunting the success of mohalla clinics in Delhi, when in realitythe health infrastructure in the capital had collapsed during the peak of pandemic.

Speaking on the occasion, Capt Amarinder Singh said that when he, as CM, tried to take on the powerful political elite involved in various mafias, they turned against him. “After I set up a Special Investigation Team to look into drug smuggling, 63,000 people were arrested for drugs. I put 3,000 gangsters behind bars and some were eliminated. Now, there is threat to the hard-earned peace and harmony in the state. The voters have to choose wisely, if they want economic development,” he said.

Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa promised that those guilty of sacrilege would be arrested. “Only we can and will control mafias. Lokayukta will be strengthened. Mining authority will be formed. Citizen Charter Act will be implemented for deliverance of public services, task force for the drugs menace,” he said.

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