Chandigarh, March 2: A section of Congress MPs and MLAs today asked their own party’s government to pull up its socks and fulfil pre-poll promises in the run-up to the 2019 General Election.
During a pre-Budget meeting chaired by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Rajya Sabha MPs Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo sought the release of funds under welfare schemes for SCs, BCs and other communities and the allotment of 5-marla plots for the homeless.
On illegal mining and collection of ‘goonda tax’, allegedly at the behest of ruling party MLAs, Dullo said the eradication of mafias was a major challenge for the government.
Pointing out that Finance Minister Manpreet Badal had promised to bring out a White Paper on the acts of omissions and commission during the 10-year SAD-BJP rule, Bajwa said highlighting the “misdeeds” of Sukhbir Singh Badal, Bikram Singh Majithia and other Akali leaders did not amount to political vendetta. Ironically, it’s the Akalis who are holding ‘pol khol’ rallies, he quipped.
On the drug menace, PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar stressed the need to bring the “big fish” to book.Certain Dalit MLAs wanted welfare schemes to be implemented effectively.
Ferozepur MLA Parminder Pinki and others objected to the induction of ex-servicemen under the Guardians of Governance programme without consulting legislators.
Responding to the issues raised, the Chief Minister announced his government’s decision to set aside Rs 128 crore every month for the disbursal of old-age pension, while assuring that the distribution of free mobile phones among the youth would commence this year. He stated that as many as 150 promises had been fulfilled in the first year itself and the remaining were in the process of execution.
Capt Amarinder said loans of 10.25 lakh of the 17.5 lakh farmers would be settled by November, with 1 lakh farmers set to be provided debt relief certificates at a state-level function later this month. He said about 40,000 youths would get jobs at the March 11 job mela.
The MLAs and MPs were unanimously in favour of greater coordination between the elected representatives and the bureaucrats so as to help the government reach out to the people.
The Finance Minister said the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) had released Rs 550 crore for ongoing development works. Money will also be released for the completion of all pending works in villages and cities during this Budget, he said.
Source Tribune India
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