Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday announced a farmer-Dalit package if elected to power again even as he asked the people to recount even one achievement of the previous Congress Government.
Addressing a gathering in support of party candidate Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Sukhbir said the SAD-BJP alliance understood the problems being faced by farmers and would make arrangements to ensure they get remunerative price for their food grain.
He said accordingly it had been decided that the Government would give a State bonus of `100 per acre for both paddy and wheat crops. He said this bonus will help farmers to subsidise the cost of fertilisers and also increase profit margins in line with the Swaminathan report.
The SAD president also highlighted the steps taken by the two term Akali-BJP Governments to ameliorate the lot of the weaker sections. “We started the shagun scheme. We started the aata daal scheme. We started old age pension,” he pointed out.
He said keeping in view the philosophy of improving the lot of the Dalit community the alliance would increase shagun scheme to `51,000 from `15,000, it would increase pensions from `500 to `2,000 and include sugar at `10 per kg and ghee at `25 per kg as part of the aata daal package. He said special shops would be opened in villages to dispense these commodities.
In another announcement, the SAD president said if elected the alliance Government will provide five lakh houses to the houseless. “It is my commitment to you that in my Punjab no one will live in a kutcha house. We will provide pucca houses to each and every houseless person,” he added.
Sukhbir also disclosed how the alliance Government had spent `2,500 crore to develop Amritsar. “From roads, BRTS, to developing the precincts of the Darbar Sahab, we have done it all. Now it is my life mission to beautify the
entire walled city in Amritsar and I need your support for this,” he said.
He alleged that the Congress and its president Amarinder Singh cannot be expected to do anything for the holy city. “He (Capt Amarinder) did nothing even as MP. On the other hand the AAP does not have an agenda for Punjab. It is only interested in confronting the Centre and PM Narendra Modi. In such a Situation only the SAD-BJP Government can ensure speedy development of Amritsar as well as the State,” Sukhbir added.