Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, May 22: Strongly opposing the additional burden put on the people by way of cess on petrol, diesel and electricity to generate more than Rs 1400 crore, People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal today called upon Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to first reduce their own unproductive expenditure that was unnecessary burden on the state exchequer and the people.
“The Chief Minister has a fleet of more than 200 vehicles in his fleet in the name of security, the highest in the country. Similar is the case with the Deputy Chief Minister. Moreover, a battalion of the Punjab Armed Police has been deployed exclusively for their security, besides men from other security forces. On the one hand, it is being claimed that Punjab is the most peaceful state while on the other, these leaders move around under such tight security cover. Then there is the expenditure on their air travel which, in a small state like Punjab is totally uncalled for”, he said.
He called upon the Chief Minister to be frank enough to come out with the figures on security and travel of his own and that of the Deputy Chief Minister so that the people could know the real position. Such information was otherwise being denied in the name of security.
He pointed out that both the agrarian as well as the industrial sector were in crisis which was aggravating every day. The additional levies would affect every section of society as the cost of inputs would go up. The incidence of suicides by the farmers was alarmingly on the rise. Industrial units were either closing down while others had migrated to the neighbouring states due to the concessions given to these states by the Atal Behari Vajpayee government when Sukhbir was the Union Minister of State for Industries.
He said the hike in diesel and petrol might benefit luxury buses of the Badal family as travel by car would become unaffordable by a major section of the people who preferred to go out in their cars but now with travel becoming costlier, the option would be luxury buses 90 per cent of which were owned by the ruling family. He said Badals were bleeding the state and the people in every conceivable way to promote their business interests.
