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Foundation of Ravidas research centre foundation: At Dera Ballan, Mann, Kejriwal vow good governance
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann along with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal visited Jalandhar’s Dera Sachkhand Ballan to lay foundation stone of Guru Ravidas Bani research centre.
Amidst the “credit war” already on between Aam Aadmi Party and Congress ahead of Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-elections, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann along with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal visited Jalandhar’s Dera Sachkhand Ballan to lay foundation stone of Guru Ravidas Bani research centre, here.
Mann and Kejriwal also handed over the cheque of ₹25 crore for setting up of the centre.
In 2021, former CM Charanjit Singh Channi also announced setting up such centre and even disbursed the funds of ₹25 crore but after coming to power in 2022, the AAP ordered the amount be given back to the government.
Dera Ballan, situated 18-km from Jalandhar, is considered to have strong political clout due to its association with Dalits in Doaba region. However, after Jalandhar parliamentary constituency fell vacant following death of former MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, the political parties are taking rounds to encash Dera’s influence on Dalit vote bank dominating seat.
Addressing the gathering, CM Mann said the AAP “does not believe in lip service” but deliver what is good for society, adding that there is no dearth of funds for this prestigious project.
“The money has already been transferred in account of the Deputy Commissioner to start work on this project. Earlier only tall claims were made for welfare of poor but no one did the work in real sense,” Mann said.
Mann said this research Centre will go a long way to undertake extensive research and will also be instrumental in propagating the teachings of Guru Ravidass. Meanwhile, he reiterated AAP’s promises of free power, generating employment resources and development of health and education sectors.
Mann focused on the welfare of dalit community in his speech and how past governments failed to anything for their welfare.
“The poor people have been ditched by those only who claimed to be their own leaders. Earlier governments had ruined the future of poor students by usurping the money meant for post matric scholarship scheme,” Mann said.
Cong calls AAP ‘opportunist’
The Congress party snubbed visit of Mann and Kejriwal visit to Dera Sachkhand along with battery of ministers and MLAs as ‘opportunism’ in order to take undue credit of congress projects.
Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary said the previous Congress government had released a cheque of ₹ 25 crore for construction of research centre but in an attempt to take “undue credit”, the AAP government took back the released amount and made a show of sanctioning the grant again.
“Congress government had released the first installment of the grant, but after coming to power, the AAP government first stopped its release and then performed the charade of sanctioning the same amount for the same project to claim all the credit,” he said.
AAP ‘ropes-in’ buses for party workers
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had roped-in buses of state transport undertakings (STUs) including, PRTC, Punjab roadways and Punbus to ferry people from different parts of Doaba region to Dera Sachkhand Ballan for Mann and Kejriwal’s visit. More than 100 buses were pulled back from their designated routes by AAP MLAs and constituency incharges to take people to the spot.
“We are waiting for bus for more than two hours as all public buses on designated route were diverted to ferry AAP workers to Dera Ballan,” said a commuter standing on Jalandhar-Pathankot bypass. A huge rush of passengers could be witnessed at other bus stops of the city.
