Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh today said a new legislation will be brought in the assembly to save state's waters and to waive off property tax charges for those with income up to Rs 2.5 lakh, if the Congress comes to power in the state.
Accusing Badals of "failing" to protect the interests of Punjab on the SYL issue, he said, "we have to teach them a lesson while alleging that Badal government had "looted" the state for the past 10 years.
Amarinder promised to waive off property tax charges for those with income up to Rs 2.5 lakhs and substantially lower the same for other sections of the society once in power.
He assured the people that free power subsidy in the state would continue and the 'Atta-Dal' scheme currently in place will be further expanded to include tea and sugar.
Addressing a rally here to mark the 10th anniversary celebrations of the formation of the Barnala district, he alleged "there's something wrong with their (Badals) blood. They are all liars and looters, who have been plundering Punjab day in and day out for the past 10 years."
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president, asserting that they (Badals) would not be allowed to get away with their "sins". "I will ensure that they are punished and sent to jail if found guilty."
Amarinder said no effort would be spared to bring the Akali leaders to book.
Referring to the transport mafia allegedly being run by the Badals, along with cable, sand and other mafias, the Punjab Congress leader asserted that his government would snatch the transport network from them and hand it over to the unemployed youth of the state.
He reiterated his promise of one job per family once the reins of Punjab are in the hands of his party.
Extending his party's full support to the aggrieved industry, which was being "forced to flee" the state under the Badal "misrule", Amarinder said several relief measures would be announced in the Congress manifesto for the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Referring to the demonetisation move of the Narendra Modi
government, Amarinder said it was not helping curb corruption and black money but was only causing "suffering" to the common man.
He claimed out that 50 per cent of the people in India do not even have a bank account, and lambasted the prime minister, along with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, for "plunging the people of the state into dire straits as a result of the "cash crunch" triggered by demonetisation".
Recalling the historic, 300-year-old association of his family with Barnala, Amarinder alleged that the Akali government was preventing the development of the district out of "sheer vendetta", "since I had created the district."
He said there was no government college in Barnala and no good hospital even though cancer spread was rampant in the region.
On the occasion, Punjab BJP Beopar Mandal president Naib Singh Kala, along with 200 of his supporters, joined the Congress after leaving the BJP.
Amarinder welcomed them into the party fold, along with Budh Ram, who quit the Akali Dal to join the Congress.
Earlier, AICC-incharge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari, in her address, lamented that the state which was known for excellence in industry and agriculture was today under "mafia raj", with transport, sand, drugs and cable mafias ruling Punjab under the alleged patronage of the Akalis.
Promising that the lost glory of the state will be restored by the Congress when it comes to power, Asha Kumari expressed pain at the fact that the people of Barnala do not have access to even basic amenities.
Earlier, huge crowds turned up to welcome Amarinder as his cavalcade negotiated the narrows lanes of the Pharwahi Bazaar to the rally venue.
Traders from the bazaar came out in large numbers to share their woes, in the wake of the demonetisation move of the Central government, with the PPCC president.
