SAD asks Amarinder to waive farmers debt, provide 30 lakh jobs

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said that the Amarinder Singh government should waive farmers' debt and meet the promise of providing 30 lakh jobs in Punjab and try not to hide behind the "smoke-screen" of committees.
A core committee of the SAD, which was drubbed in the assembly elections, said it accepted the verdict of the people of Punjab with all "humility and honesty".
A resolution passed at the meeting said that the people had appreciated the agenda of development and good governance which resulted in the party getting the second highest percentage of votes across the state.
However, the party has undertaken an introspection about the shortcomings and reasons that may have led to the decline in popular support, it added.

Giving details of the meeting, SAD General Secretary Harcharan Singh Bains said the party will play the role of constructive opposition in the state.
"We will support every decision of the government which is good for Punjabi and its people. But we will steadfastly and vehemently fight against any decisions that go against the interest of the state and the people," he said.

The SAD core group also called upon the Congress government not to use committees as a "smoke-screen to hide behind for inaction on its promises," he said.
It should announce waiver of debt for farmers as all the data is already available with the government, Bains said. Similarly, it should announce a cabinet approval for recruitment to meet the promise of 30 lakh jobs, he added.

The new government can fulfill all its promises in a
single meeting of the cabinet, SAD leader Bains said said.
The core committee also said that the 120 point agenda of the Punjab council of ministers was nothing but a rehash of decisions already implemented by the previous government.
The committee passed a resolution expressing confidence in the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal and thanked former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for leading the state from one glory to another.
Bains said that the party felt that conspiracies were hatched to render Punjabis and Sikhs leaderless by targeting the SAD. But "we will continue to seek inspiration form the great Gurus and fight all such conspiracies. The party will continue to fight as the voice of Punjabis and the Sikhs all over the world," he said.

The committee hoped that the Government would not encourage acts of repression and violence and spoil the peaceful atmosphere of the state.
Apart from Badal and Sukhbir, others present included Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Prem Singh Chandumajra. SAD could win 15 Assembly seats out of total 117 falling behind new entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which won 20 seats.