Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, October 29 – Former deputy chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today castigated the Punjab government for trying to take credit for development works which had been approved by the SAD-BJP government, stating the Congress government had not been able to get even one project for the State in the last seven months.
In a statement here, the SAD president said it was unfortunate that the State government including the chief minister and the Local Government minister were trying to take credit by distributing cheques for projects which had not only been approved by the previous SAD-BJP government but for whom even Rs 567 crore had been released earlier.
He said only yesterday an attempt was made to hoodwink the people of Abohar by re-inaugurating an ongoing drinking water supply and sewer scheme. He said this scheme had been approved by the SAD-BJP government. “Even partial money for the same was released during SAD-BJP rule following which the work was allocated and even started by the contractor”, he added.
Stating that this could be an attempt to befool the people and divert attention from the series of anti-people steps taken by the Congress government after the Gurdaspur bypoll including hike in power tariff and closure of 800 primary schools, Mr Badal said it would be better if the Congress government submitted a report card on its performance in the last seven months instead of indulging in such tomfoolery.
Mr Badal said both the Amrut scheme and the Smart City project were initiated by the NDA government during SAD-BJP tenure. He said while various water supply and sewerage schemes had been initiated under Amrut including those in Abohar, various projects had been initiated under the Smart City scheme for which also the Congress government was trying to take credit. He said the Smart city project for Ludhiana had been inaugurated by him in November 2016 by giving a live demonstration of 1442 CCTV cameras placed in 159 locales in Ludhiana. He said similarly he had also launched projects including four laning of elevated road from city to Samrala chowk and the Ladhowali bypass besides other projects.
Stating that there was no limit to the credit war initiated by the government, he said recently a minister laid foundation stone of “minor repair” of one side of Jagraon bridge and a ROB on Pakhowal road. He said instead of wasting time on all this, the government should provide relief from the killer taxes imposed on urbanites. “The 12 per cent power hike is unbearable for urbanities that have also been taxed with an additional municipal tax equivalent to two per cent of their power bill besides increase in external development charges. It would be better if the Congress government devotes time in doing away with these anti-people measures and not make polity a comedy show”, he added.
