A day after Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) president Simarjit Singh Bains announced to launch ‘Saadi Panchayat, Saadi Zameen’ Andolan against Congress-led Punjab Government's decision to hand over Panchayat lands for industrial development, the State Industries Minister Sunder Shyam Arora on Tuesday lashed out at him for trying to spread malicious propaganda against the Government.
In a scathing attack, Arora lambasted Bains and his LIP for spreading misinformation over the government’s decision to amend The Punjab Village Common Land (Regulation) Rules, 1964, to create land banks in rural areas for industrial development.
Terming the protest planned by LIP over the issue as a “political stunt” aimed at wooing the people of Punjab, Arora said: “Bains is indulging in total falsehood and fabrications to mislead them. It is nothing but a mischievous attempt by LIP to gain some foothold in the State’s political arena, in which the party has absolutely no presence or support.”
Pointing out that the scheme to create rural land banks was voluntary, and a matter of the Panchayat’s choice, the Minister said that the Panchayats would not be forced to sell any land. “If a Panchayat did choose to sell land, it would be fully compensated for the same,” he added, trashing Bains’ false claims.
“In fact, the scheme would be limited to only a few areas, as there are not more than two-three rural pockets in the entire State which have enough land to develop proper industrial parks,” said Arora, adding that Bains was either ignorant of even the basic facts about Punjab, or was deliberately and mischievously choosing to ignore them to promote his vested political interests.
“LIP has no interest in the state’s development of which industrial growth is a critical component,” said the Minister.
“Punjab needs progress, our youth need jobs. But all that Bains is interested in, is promoting his own fagging political career,” said Arora, cautioning the people against being misled by the deceitful claims and charges of leaders like these, who had no interest whatsoever in nurturing the state’s growth and development.
The Minister asserted that the Capt Amarinder Singh led government was committed to bringing the State’s economic growth back on track, and ensuring the fulfillment of his promise of ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar’, for which industrial development was a vital imperative.
Arora warned Bains against continuing to indulge in such malicious propaganda, as the people were no longer ready to be taken in by such puffery.