The ruling Akali party in Punjab today ridiculed the Congress manifesto for the June 10 municipal corporations elections, dubbing it a 'a bundle of lies' and akin to building 'castles in the air'.
Punjab Congress, in its manifesto released yesterday, promised not to impose property tax on residential units, regularise illegal colonies and make the civic bodies corruption-free.
Shiromani Akali Dal spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said Congress did not even bother to check whether civic bodies can make promises which fall in the domain of the state or central governments.
Ridiculing the Congress promise of municipal bodies providing transparent and corruption-free administration, he said it is ironical for the party whose government at the Centre "has proved to be the most corrupt government worldwide, is assuring the public of clean and corruption free administration."
Dr Cheema said Congress in Punjab promised not to impose property tax on the day its state government announced levying it in Haryana.
On Congress manifesto promise that its councillors would declare their assets a week after their elections, the Akali spokesman said similar promise made by Congress MLAs on the eve of the 2002 elections to Punjab legislative assembly has not been fulfilled so far.
{{/usCountry}}On Congress manifesto promise that its councillors would declare their assets a week after their elections, the Akali spokesman said similar promise made by Congress MLAs on the eve of the 2002 elections to Punjab legislative assembly has not been fulfilled so far.
{{/usCountry}}Besides promising no property tax on residential properties, the Congress manifesto said house tax will not be charged on properties in areas which have not been taken over by municipal corporations.
The manifesto promised regularisation of all unauthorised colonies within municipal limits and extension of municipal limits by up to 2-5 km from present municipal boundaries.
Elections to four municipal corporations of Ludhiana, Patiala, Jalandhar and Amritsar are scheduled be held on June 10.
The Akali party spokesman dismissed these promises, saying the Congress party is in the habit of making tall promises and forgetting them after the elections. He claimed that Congress is making 'hollow' promises because it is sensing defeat in the elections.