Development is the poll plank of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), as Punjab’s ruling party has assured drastic improvement in the state’s infrastructure, education and industry, besides promising to make the state power-surplus in a year and making its Malwa belt a textile hub.
A please-all manifesto the SAD brought out in Ludhiana last evening targets the state’s youth and women, promising 10 lakh jobs in the next five years and free education for girls till graduation.
The document, released by SAD president and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, said the party —in coalition with the BJP — was “more than hopeful” of returning to power after the January 30 elections.
The party has promised the generation of an “IT revolution” in Mohali and Amritsar, besides the Malwa (comprising 11 districts and cities like Ludhiana and Patiala between the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers) as a textile hub. Further, Ludhiana to be made industrial hub with cargo handling facilities at the airport. For industry, the SAD, if voted to power, will formulate and implement a new manufacturing policy for the state. An agro SEZ would be developed at Kandi area (in the Shivalik foothills) and the international border town of Attari. Also, Jalandhar would be made the “sports capital of India”.
The party has guaranteed the laying of a metro rail in Ludhiana and state-of-the-art POD services in Amritsar. Besides, all of Punjab will have wi-fi connectivity.
As for the education sector, it promises free education for girls till graduation, as against till Plus-2, which is currently the case. The manifesto also promises free laptop with data card for Plus-1 and 2 students studying in government schools. Also, free bicycles will be given to students of classes IX and X too. (At present, it is given to plus-2 students alone.) The manifesto assures a monthly Rs 1,000 allowance for the educated unemployed. The old age and widow pension would be doubled. A budding sportsperson in each district will be entitled to Rs 10,000 every year.
The party will provide free medical care up to Rs 2 lakh for members of blue-card holder families, farmers with up to 5 acres of land holdings, widows and orphans. It will give 5 marla (approximately 150 square yard) of plots to the state’s landless poor, besides free coocking-gas connection to all BPL families. The monetary provision under the Shagun scheme will be raised to Rs 31,000. The party will fight for a strong Lok Pal.
