Engaging in an image-building exercise with an eye on 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, the Shiromani Akali Dal on Thursday galvanized its different party wings youth, women, and SC-BC (scheduled caste and backward class) — to counter opposition’s “malicious” propaganda by highlighting state government achievements.
SAD chief and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, in separate meetings of different party wings, has asked the concerned leaders to initiate steps apparently to woo the various sections.
Sukhbir, presiding over the meetings, exhorted the cadre to start preparing in the right earnest for the 2017 Assembly polls. He also instructed the leaders of Istri Akali Dal, Youth Akali Dal and SC/BC wing to aggressively promote the pro-development and progress oriented welfare initiatives of SAD-BJP Government.
Party president has asked the party’s women wing — Istri Akali Dal — to distribute four lakh sewing machines and recruit 2500 women constables in state police force, among other things. The youth wing, Youth Akali Dal, has been asked to intensify its activities.
The SC/BC wing of the party has been directed to ensure benefit of welfare schemes reaches everyone.
“The State Government would distribute four lakh sewing machines for women belonging to Mai Bhago Sewa Society besides initiating the process of recruiting 2,500 women constables in the Punjab Police soon,” said Sukhbir while announcing that 200 skill centers were also being opened soon that would cater to women only.
He added that the buses for the women, hailing from Punjab, would be run for Sri Harmandir Sahib and Virasat-e-Khalsa on the pattern of Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme.
lambasting ‘AAP’ and ‘Congress’, he said that these two parties were hell bent upon maligning the fair name of Punjab and Punjabi’s which called for a strong rebuff by the people of the state.
“True picture with the aid of facts and figures of the rapid progress made by Punjab must be presented before the people so that they are not swayed by the negative and destructive propaganda of these parties who often brand Punjab as bankrupt and Punjabi’s as drug addicts,” he said.
Saying that the future of Punjab is secure with only the SAD-BJP government at the helm, he called for the decisive defeat to these parties in order to ensure that the pace of development continues uninterrupted.
During a meeting with Youth Akali Dal, Sukhbir instructed that meetings should be held every week in each block, district and zone so as to make people aware regarding the achievements of Punjab Government. He also called for starting an awareness campaign in this regard.
YAD patron Bikram Singh Majithia said that he would conduct meetings in all 117 constituencies in order to further boost the morale of young turks of the party. He expressed supreme confidence that due to the all inspiring efforts of youth power, SAD would get a chance to serve the people of the state for a third term.
Sukhbir, in his meeting with the leaders of SC wing, said that soon, a state level camp would be organised at Sri Anandpur Sahib.
“Free bus service would be started for the devotees to visit Khuralgarh and Ram Tirath,” he said while adding that it was high time that various welfare schemes being run for the benefit of SC/BC communities should be aggressively propagated amongst the public apart from making sure that their benefits reach the grassroots level.