Chandigarh– The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said a ‘maharaja’ living in his own cocoon surrounded by a coterie of sycophants was now making promises to NRIS that had already been fulfilled by the SAD-BJP government.
In a statement here, SAD general secretary Maheshinder Singh Grewal said it appeared that Amarinder was now completely devoted to merry making as could be seen from the company he kept in Chicago and did not have any inkling as to what had been done for the betterment of NRIs in Punjab during the last nine years.
“It is good that you took the precaution of interacting with NRIs on skype or else you might have been insulted by them for trying to befool them with promises that have already been implemented”, Mr Grewal said. He said Amarinder should know the SAD-BJP government has set up fast track revenue courts for speedy disposal of NRIs cases in respect of revenue cases. The power of Assistant Collector has been conferred on all District Revenue Officers in the State. A judicial court for NRIs only has been made functional at Jalandhar, he said besides 15 exclusive NRI police stations in various districts.
Daring former Chief Minister of Punjab to list out the initiatives taken by him for the betterment of NRIs, Mr Grewal said the SAD-BJP government had not only made it easy for NRIs to get their multiple properties vacated from tenants but had also amended various revenue acts to safeguard their lands.
Urging Amarinder to at least take a tutorial on this subject before interacting with NRIs again on this issue, the akali leader said “at least do not try to insult the intelligence of NRIs by making promises which have no meaning”.
He said on the other hand, the SAD-BJP government had given due respect to NRIs with chief minister Parkash Singh Badal listening to their grievances and solving them on the spot. He said the government had also provided NRIs with NRI privilege cards besides extending accreditation facilities to the NRI media. “You on the other hand had nothing to offer to NRIs during your stint as chief minister and are still clueless as to the needs of the community”, he added.