Blaming the Punjab Congress leaders for ignoring the alleged step-motherly treatment meted out to the State by Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, Punjab Revenue and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Thursday said that they should tender an apology to the people of the State for their proven connivance in this.
Majithia, addressing election rallies at Ghuman and Waryam Nangal in favour SAD-BJP Zila Parishad candidates, said: “Congress-led UPA Government is approaching for completion of its second consecutive term. But, during this almost decade’s time, Punjab was totally ignored on each front and most unfortunate aspect is that the Punjab Congress leadership never uttered a single word against it.”
Punjab Congress leaders including present PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa and his predecessor always betrayed the interests of the state to save their position,” he said.
“Before pointing out SAD-BJP government’s any failure, these ‘gentlemen’ should themselves introspect their own performances and commitment towards the interests of the State,” said Majithia, while daring Bajwa to show a single central development which he had brought to the State.
He added that on one hand, States like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were given special packages of Rs 12,000 and 5,000 crore respectively, but Punjab was ignored even in debt waiver scheme for farmers’ despite their major contribution in self reliance of country on food grains front.
Majithia claimed that five congress MlAs, impressed with pro-poor and development-oriented policies of SAD, were in touch, and would soon join the party. “The rejection of Congress in most of the states in the country shows that people had lost their faith in this party,” he added.
‘Brar has sold his conscience to SAD-BJP’
Chandigarh: Taking a dig at the State Election Commissioner SS Brar, Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa on Thursday said that he has proved to be “a spineless person”.
“He is holding the constitutional post and played a mute spectator to the rigging of election process and attacks on Congress workers. Brar has sold his conscience to the SAD-BJP government and fully responsible for the murder of democracy,” said Bajwa.
Bajwa maintained that Brar has no right to continue in his post and it will be better for him to step down gracefully to save the prestige of State Election Commissioner’s post. He added that the State Election Commissioner didn’t even reply to the demands to videograph the voting at booths and deposit arms before beginning of election process.
Punjabin debt trap: Manish tewari
ludhiana: Alleging that Akali-BJP government has pushed Punjab into a debt trap, Union Minister Manish Tewari on Thursday ridiculed the State Government for describing it as a “productive debt”.
“It is a cause of serious concern as the State is dangerously heading towards bankruptcy,” the Congress leader said, addressing public meetings in support of party candidates contesting the forthcoming block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections. The State debt according to its own Finance Minister was likely to cross Rs 1 lakh crore by the end of this financial year and it is continuously increasing at an alarming rate, he said, adding, “May I ask the Punjab government what is productive about this debtIJ The only productive thing about this debt is that it is multiplying every year and taking Punjab closer to bankruptcy.”
He said that given the rate at which the state is borrowing, by the end of the term of this government, the total debt will cross Rs one 1.50 lakh crores which will be impossible to be paid by any government.
In all, Tewari addressed 14 meetings on Thursday spread over the Gill assembly segment on the second day of his campaign for the polls.
Akalis are on ventilator: khanna
Sangrur: Punjab Congress general secretary and Dhuri MlA Arvind Khanna on Thursday said that the Akali-BJP Government in Punjab was surviving on the oxygen supply provided by the Central Government. “Otherwise this Government is on ventilator as it has no money to function for even a day,” he added.
Khanna said that had it not been for the grants provided by the central government, the state government would have collapsed long back as the situation was otherwise fit of financial emergency.
Khanna, winding up his 10-day campaign tour for Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections in about 80 villages of Dhuri assembly segment, pointed out that the state was reeling under heavy debt and it had no resources of its own.