Balbir Singh Rajewal: Will 'restore' power to Punjab people

Ruchika M Khanna

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Chandigarh, January 28

The Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) is seeking public mandate for the February 20 elections on the promise of strengthening the healthcare and education sectors and ending the “mafia raj” in sand mining, liquor, transport and cable business,.

Breakaway groups to come together

• The SSM started off with 22 farmer unions as members, but only 13 remain part of it. Even Left parties have fielded own candidates. However, Rajewal says there will be an amalgamation of breakaway groups in coming days
• Rajewal, chief ministerial candidate of the SSM, says they will remain part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which recently expelled unions that forayed into politics, and continue their fight for the issues raised by SKM

Policymakers for key sectors

As education, employment generation and healthcare can’t be left largely to private sector, the SSM will appoint three policymaking experts on each sector, if voted to power. — Balbir Singh Rajewal, SSM Leader

Claiming a massive support from farmers, traders and other civil society groups, the SSM says they alone pose a real challenge to the traditional political parties — Congress, Akali Dal and BJP-led alliance. Accusing the Aam Aadmi Party of succumbing to the tactics followed by other traditional parties, the SSM claims in such a political scenario, they alone can offer an alternative form of governance.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Balbir Singh Rajewal, chief ministerial candidate of the SSM, said it was this (political) uniqueness of the morcha that was driving other traditional parties to put pressure on the Election Commission, which is unwilling to either register their political party or grant a common symbol to their candidates. The morcha has already declared 115 candidates for the 117 Assembly segments.

“People got a sample of our governance model during our year-long struggle, wherein all that the morcha leaders said and dictated, after due consultations, was followed in letter and spirit. There were no divisive factors at play, and we all fought and won the battle for a common cause in a disciplined and democratic manner,” he told The Tribune.

“Similarly, we are promising to fight for the common cause of alleviating the suffering of people and bringing the lost glory back to Punjab. For this, we will remove the mafia-like hold of the political class on sand mining, liquor, transport and cable businesses. The political class — with varying percentages of profit, depending on who is at the helm — is pocketing roughly Rs 1 lakh crore through their involvement in these four businesses alone, with maximum amount being pocketed in liquor business (Rs 55,000-Rs 60,000 crore per annum), followed by sand mining business (Rs 25,000 cr per annum).

“Add to this, the corruption in administration, where posts in major public-dealing offices are ‘auctioned to highest bidding official’, who then extracts this back from the common man,” alleged Rajewal, claiming they planned to restore power to the people and fill the near-empty coffers of the state.

Reiterating that the three major lessons in policymaking and governance learnt during the course of the pandemic were that education, healthcare and employment generation could not be left largely to the private sector, the farm union leader said they would appoint three policymaking experts on each sector, if voted to power, and strengthening the public sector would be their top priority as it would end exploitation of people.

“Till the public healthcare strengthens, we promise to bear 50 per cent cost of healthcare in private sector,” he added. Rajewal also said their manifesto would be released shortly, wherein they were promising power to commercial users at the same rate applicable to domestic power consumers. An interest-free, fixed-term loan of Rs 3 lakh would also be provided to all farmer and labourer members of cooperative societies, he added.