Punjab had remained a source of inspiration for other states and its farmers made the country self-reliant in food, Singla who is seeking re-election from Sangrur said, adding that "but with its seven years of mal-governance the Akali-BJP alliance has brought the state to a grinding halt".
"The treasury is empty, no new industry is coming up and agriculture is under stress. Big industrialists are abandoning the state for lack of work-culture and right infrastructure. The youths are getting misguided for want of employment and falling into drug traps," Singla said.
"Everybody knows that the state government has no money to pay for its employees' salaries and pensions, and pursuing a development agenda is a far fetched dream today... Central funds and projects have largely come to the rescue of Punjab," he said.
He urged the people of Punjab to introspect within and not to let false propaganda of SAD-BJP alliance sway them. He said that it has become a habit of SAD leaders to blame the central government for Punjab's ills.
Even significant funds available for providing interest subsidy on educational loans under a central scheme are not being accessed and the SAD-BJP alliance has been cheating the youth in securing a future for themselves, he alleged.