Six months short of Punjab polls scheduled for 2022, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday announced a 13-point agenda to be implemented on forming the government, promising 400 units of free electricity to all residential consumers, a discount of ₹10 per litre on diesel for farming and 75% quota in private sector jobs to Punjabi youth.
The slew of promises included quota for women in jobs, reservation for government schools students in professional colleges, cheap electricity to the industry and the MSP for fruits and vegetables.
“If SAD is voted to power, 400 units of electricity will be given free of cost to residential consumers across all categories and a discount of ₹10 per litre on diesel to tractor owners and farmers,” he announced at a press conference in Chandigarh on Tuesday. He also promised to restore power connections of all the Blue Card-holder families whose supply was disconnected due to default in payment.
“Education and health will be the top priority, as was infrastructure development during our previous two terms (2007-17),” he said, claiming that most of the development projects in the state came when his father, Parkash Singh Badal, helmed the government.
On Aam Aadmi Party’s 300 units free power promise, Sukhbir said it has little meaning because a single unit over 300 units will make the consumer to pay the entire bill. “We promise 400 units free irrespective of the consumption,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}On Aam Aadmi Party’s 300 units free power promise, Sukhbir said it has little meaning because a single unit over 300 units will make the consumer to pay the entire bill. “We promise 400 units free irrespective of the consumption,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“All Scheduled Caste scholarships will be revived and our government will also ensure free college-level education to them,” Sukhbir said. He also said there was a plan to introduce ‘student card’, offering a loan up to ₹10 lakh for those who want to pursue college/varsity education from abroad, the interest on which will be paid by the government with a payback moratorium of three years.
To a query, Sukhbir said on coming to power, the SAD-BSP government will announce a liquor policy to plug loopholes for better revenue collection.
He said Centre’s three ‘black laws’ will be “rejected” if the SAD-BSP alliance comes to power.
The SAD has stitched a pre-poll alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) under which it will contest 97 seats and rest 20 will go to the Mayawati-led party.