Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
KALANAUR (GURDASPUR), January 20: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh today said that generating jobs and eradicating the scourge of drugs in Punjab will be his top most priority. He was interacting with the youth of the area at the local sports stadium.
The PCC president said, not only will he arrange the jobs for youth, but he will also facilitate soft and easy loans to encourage the youth towards entrepreneurship, whether in transport, small industry or information technology and agriculture. He said, revival of industry and agriculture will be among his top most priorities as Punjab cannot survive without agriculture.
Sharing the concern and apprehensions of the educated youth, Capt Amarinder said, he was saddened about highly educated youths with MPhil, PhD and engineering degrees in the state applying for small and menial government jobs. “I can understand the trauma of a highly qualified youth who is jobless”, he said, adding, “my first and foremost priority will be to provide respectable jobs to all those who are qualified, deserving and in need of these”.
Capt Amarinder also announced that he will stop the illegal plying of buses by the Badal family and their associates. He said, the Badals were operating ten buses against one permit. “They will be allowed to operate one bus against each permit and all extra route permits will be provided to the unemployed youth”, he said and added, “not only will be the youth provided bus permits they will also be provided soft and easy loans so that they do not have any difficulty in purchasing the buses to operate”.
Replying to a question as what action he will take against Bikram Majithia who is accused of indulging in drug trade, the PCC president said, since he (Majithia) was already facing an investigation he will wait for the outcome. “No matter whosoever, whether Majithia or anyone else is found guilty, will not just be put behind the bars but severely punished”, he said, amidst loud cheers and applaud, saying, he had sworn under oath to punish the drug mafia and he cannot go back on his promise, which otherwise also he never does.
Accompanied by the local MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, in whose assembly constituency Dera Baba Nanak this historic town falls, Capt Amarinder did not deliver any speech today. Instead he told the youth who had gathered there that he wanted to listen to them and know about their expectations and aspirations. None of the leaders made any speech.
About the false cases registered against Congress workers, the former Chief Minister said, not only will be the cases cancelled on the first day of taking over the government, but all those responsible for registration of the false cases including both the policemen as well as the politicians on whose behest these were registered will be put behind bars and will have to face the law.
Most of the youth asked him as how he could generate so many jobs as he had guaranteed at least one job per family. To this the PCC president said, by ensuring one job per family, he did not mean only the government jobs. He said, the government jobs are very scarce. For that, he added, Punjab needs massive re-industrialisation which was not very difficult.
Lashing out at the Akalis and holding them responsible for the flight of the industry from Punjab to other states like Gujarat, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, Capt Amarinder said, they (the Akalis) had not taken a single measure that would encourage and motivate the industry to come to Punjab or at least ensure that the local industry stayed back.
Giving example, he said, the state government buys power the rate of about Rs 2.5 from the national power grid, while it provides the same power at an exorbitant rate of about Rs 6.5 per unit. “How can industry survive and sustain at such rate?” he asked while announcing that his government will allow the industry to make direct purchase from the national grid.
Similarly, he said, during his previous term, he had set up two citrus research centres to encourage and promote kinnow cultivation in Punjab at Abohar and Hoshiarpur. But, he added, the Akalis closed these just because they did not want any completion since Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal himself also cultivated kinnow.
