Cable price capped at ₹100 a month: Channi in Ludhiana

The cable mafia, Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi claimed, had resulted as the Badal family owned it, and even had an interest in transport business of the state

Ludhiana In what is being seen as yet another sop to people before next year’s elections, Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday announced that the charges for a cable TV connection had been fixed at ₹100 a month.

Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi said that cable mafia will be fought and cannot be allowed to fleece people. (HT Photo)

Earlier in the day, Channi, along with Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, handed over appointment letters to the kin of five farmers, who died during the farmer agitation. The event was held at Punjab Agricultural University.

“From now onwards, you do not have to pay beyond ₹100 per connection and strict action would be taken to implement the capping of the cable price,” said Channi, addressing a political rally at the Grain Market on Gill Road, adding that the decision was meant to end ‘cable mafia’ in the state. He added that transport and cable in the state were owned and controlled by the Badal family of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

“Illegal bus permits would be revoked and allotted to unemployed youth. Over the next days, we will also regularise the services of all safai sewaks working with municipal councils and corporations,” he claimed.

Wooing auto-rickshaw drivers, the CM held meetings with respective associations, and assured them that the fine on challans of auto rickshaw operators will be waived.

Channi stated that the historic decisions have already been taken for welfare of poor, including reduction in electricity rates; waiving electricity bill arrears worth ₹1,500 crore; water bills fixed at ₹50 per month, fixed rates of sand and gravel per cusec feet at ₹5.5 besides providing free power to rural water supply schemes.

Sidhu praises landmark decisions,

but wants sand rate capped

From a stage that had major senior Congress leaders putting up a united front, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had both praise and criticism for the Channi government. Opening with sand prices, he said, A tractor trolley of the sand is being illegally sold for around ₹3,400 today. I will continue my battle against the sand mafia, till the rate comes down to ₹1,000.”

He added that the Congress party high command must ensure that the policy on sand rates was implemented, or he would resign. He alleged that 60% of industry in the state had been shut and there was an urgent need to adopt a cluster-based approach.

In his praise of the new CM’s functioning, Sidhu said landmark decision had been taken in a short span of time.

“The Punjab government will soon evolve a mechanism to ensure the state was debt-free,” he said, claiming that the AAP government in Delhi was only reaping benefits of policies that the previous Congress CM Sheila Dixit had out in place. Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu also praised Sidhu, saying that former CM Capt Amarinder Singh had an alliance with the BJP. On the occasion, some Akali workers also joined the Congress.