Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday announced that the next SAD-BSP alliance would carry forward the legacy of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal by focusing on uplifting the weaker sections by increasing old age pension to Rs 3,100 per month and giving Rs 75,000 to all Shagun scheme beneficiaries.
Sukhbir, addressing public gatherings at Bhikhi and Budhladha in favour of party candidates Prem Arora and Dr Nishan Singh, asserted that the erstwhile SAD led Governments had done the most for the scheduled caste and weaker sections of society and “we are responsible for introducing unique social welfare schemes in the State be it old age pension, aata-daal or shagun scheme”.
“We have fulfilled all out commitments and never faltered on them. I assure that once the SAD-BSP Government is sworn in we will increase old age pension to Rs 3,100 per month besides giving an enhanced Shagun of Rs 75,000 to brides from the weaker sections of society,” he declared.
Sukhbir said that these two welfare measures would be in addition to the 13-point programme launched by the party earlier as well as other measures announced after receiving representations from different sections of society. “These included Rs 2,000 per month to women heads of below poverty line families, 400 units of free power per month, Rs 10 lakh student card for higher studies, Rs 10 lakh medical insurance, creation of one lakh Government jobs and ten lakh private jobs, distribution of five lakh houses free of cost to the poor and needy as well as giving five thousand five marla houses to the poor in all constituencies of the State,” he added.
The SAD president also announced that the SAD was committed to lowering the input costs of farmers, and “keeping this in mind, the party had decided to lower the rate of diesel by Rs 10 per liter once the SAD-BSP Government was formed”.
He also announced that the alliance Government would focus on health and education and that mega schools would be constructed at the block level to provide quality education and that a big hospital would be established in each constituency besides a medical college in each district.
