The Punjab Congress on Sunday launched a nine-point action plan to bring the State back on track, under the banner of ‘Nawan Naraon Punjab layee, Captain De Naun Nukte’.
The “naun nukte” addresses key issues such as water-sharing, drugs menace, employment, industrial and agricultural growth.
Accusing the Badals of bringing Punjab to the brink of collapse during their 10-year “misrule”, state Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh said that his party was committed to acting upon the agenda if elected to power.
Capt Amarinder, flanked by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari, said that the agenda says Punjab's water is for its people alone and the party-led government would ensure Punjab's water is used for the state and not dissipated at any cost.
It also stated commitment to wipe out the drug menace from the state in four weeks after forming the government, time-bound employment scheme to provide job to at least one person in each family in five years and Rs 2,500 unemployment allowance per month to “identified” employed.
Besides, the agenda comprises waiver of agricultural debt of farmers, freedom for trade, business, industry, with affordable electricity, water and sewerage, 33 per cent reservation for women in jobs, educational institutions and allotment of residential and commercial plots in all categories, free housing for all homeless SCs, and reservation for OBCs in jobs to be raised from 12 to 15 per cent.
It also promised creation of a new department of ex-servicemen to function as “Guardians of Governance” (GoG) at the grassroots level to oversee implementation of government schemes and ensure that funds are properly utilised at village, cluster and block levels. Capt Amarinder said that these nine remedies would help alleviate the problems of the people of the state.