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Punjab: Khanna, Jagraon to get district tag under SAD govt says Sukhbir
During a rally, the former deputy chief minister says he is committed to fulfilling the long-standing demand of residents seeking district status for the two towns
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday announced that both Khanna and Jagraon would be granted district status once the Shiromani Akali Dal forms government in Punjab.
Addressing a rally here as part of the party’s Punjab Bachao campaign, the former deputy chief minister said he was committed to fulfilling the long-standing demand of residents seeking district status for the two towns. He said such a move would help strengthen local economies and ensure quicker and easier redressal of public grievances.
The SAD president also promised modernisation of the Khanna grain market, known as Asia’s largest such market. He said that the existing infrastructure and facilities in the market were not up to the required standards. He assured traders that a future SAD government would upgrade them.
Badal further said that his party would restore the commission for arhtiyas (commission agents) on procurement of wheat and paddy to 2.5%, compared to the present cap of 1.5%.
Sukhbir also said that SAD would make major efforts to attract the IT industry to Punjab. Criticising chief minister Bhagwant Mann, he accused the state government of wasting public funds on publicity campaigns and failing to address farmers’ compensation and welfare benefits for the poor.
