Shiromani Akali Dal manifesto out
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal (in photo) on Tuesday released the election manifesto of his party, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), promising to waive debt of small farmers, install CCTV cameras to check crime and improve rural infrastructure. The manifesto promises to waive debt of all farmers with landholdings of up to 2.5 acres and give a fertilizer input incentive of ₹100 a quintal on both wheat and paddy above the minimum support price. Besides, small farmers will also be eligible for a ₹2 lakh interest-free crop loan. The manifesto also promises to compensate farm workers in case of damage to crops due to natural calamities. Mr. Badal said: “We have provided clean drinking water and sewerage in 165 towns. Now we will do the same in all 12,000 villages, besides making cemented streets and putting up solar lights.” On the emotive Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal, the party made it clear that it cannot be constructed under any circumstances. The manifesto also focusses on skill development of youth. The Malwa region will be made a textile hub, an industrial park will be created across 2,500 acres in Rajpura, trade fair centres will come up in Mohali, Ludhiana and Amritsar. World-class IT hubs will be created in Mohali and Amritsar. Mr. Badal said all kutcha houses would be made pucca and the houseless given jobs. Monthly welfare pensions would be raised from ₹500 to ₹2,000. — Special Correspondent
