Former Prime Minister Manmohan Sigh, Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh and other leaders release the Congress manifesto for Punjab Assembly elections in New Delhi on Monday. Photo by Mukesh Aggarwal

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 9

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today unveiled the Congress’ please-all manifesto for poll-bound Punjab, saying the state badly needed Capt  Amarinder Singh’s leadership to realise its full potential.In an attack on the Akali-BJP combine that has ruled the state for 10 years, Manmohan Singh said the incumbents had been misusing governance tools throughout their regime.Punjab page: Cong poll freebies to cost Rs10,000 cr a yearSpeaking at the Congress headquarters in the presence of Capt Amarinder, party’s state incharge Asha Kumari, campaign panel chief Ambika Soni and Punjab manifesto committee chairperson Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Manmohan Singh described the manifesto as a “forward-looking, visionary document” that held a promise to undo the damages inflicted by the ruling combine in the state.“Punjab is a state with potential, but this potential has not been utilised in the past 10 years. The people of Punjab need a better tomorrow in terms of agriculture and manufacturing services. Captain Sahib’s leadership is badly needed by the state,” said the ex-PM.Capt Amarinder detailed the manifesto promises, including ambitious targets of “sealing drug supply, consumption and distribution within four weeks of coming to power; one job per household; free education for girls of weaker sections from KG to PhD; free houses to homeless Dalits; farm loan waiver worth Rs 67,000 crore and Re 1 as cess per bottle of alcohol to serve Congress’ socialist agenda”.“We took six months to prepare the manifesto. We have gone through villages and reached out to the people. In Punjab, we have a huge budget deficit. To tide over this, we have come out with programmes for people from every walk of life. The rural debt is Rs 67,000 crore. We will negotiate with banks to ensure that farmers don’t have to pay that money, although this is something the Centre should have done,” Capt Amarinder said. He promised to continue free power to farmers and assured free houses to homeless Dalits.

Rs 2,500 stipend to unemployed

• Loan waiver and free power to farmers
• Wiping out drug trade within a month
• Stipend of Rs 2,500 per month to unemployed youth
• Free education for girls of weaker sections from KG to PhD
• New industrial policy within 90 days of assuming power
• Free smartphones to youth, free textbooks to all children

‘Punjab needs Capt’

• Captain Sahib’s leadership is badly needed by the state (Punjab). I believe under his leadership, the Congress will undo the damage done to Punjab in 10 years. — Manmohan Singh, ex-PM

Cong poll freebies to cost Rs10,000 cr a year

Punjab Congress leader Manpreet Badal (L) and party’s Mohali candidate Balbir Singh Sidhu release the manifesto in Chandigarh on Monday. Tribune Photo: Manoj Mahajan

Sarbjit Dhaliwal & Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 9

At a time when the state is already reeling under a debt of Rs1.38 lakh crore, the Punjab Congress, in its manifesto released today, offered freebies that would cost the state exchequer an estimated Rs10,000 crore per annum.Manpreet Badal, one of the key architects of the manifesto, claims they have plans to part finance the expenditure on the freebies in such a manner that it will not put pressure on the existing resources.“Instead of burdening the existing resources, as is being done by the governments in the past, the required funds will be generated by strictly checking pilferage of revenue by various mafias operating in the state and cutting wasteful expenditure by closing irrelevant board and corporations and non-statutory commissions,” he claims.He says his vision for Punjab has become a reality with the Congress agreeing to incorporate 11 dream agendas in the manifesto of his erstwhile PPP.He also says if the Congress came to power, it will enact “The Conflict of Interest Act” which will unseat a minister or an MLA if he uses his official position to protect and promote his business at any level.“We will be perhaps the first party in the country to propose such a law,” he says, adding that several other countries have such a legal provision.“Politicians with interests in liquor, transport and real estate have been holding important positions in the government, taking decisions on matters directly related to their businesses. There are numerous instances of politicians appointing their relatives on important political postings. Such practices have to stop.”Rival parties give thumbs downThere is no reason to believe anything written in the Congress manifesto because the party has never implemented any of its earlier manifestos. —Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy CMThe Congress is trying to build castles in the air. It makes tall promises, but forgets them when the elections are over. Our govt is already running scores of schemes. —Vijay Sampla, state BJP ChiefIt’s nothing but a bundle of lies. It seems that most of the points have been taken from the four manifestos already released by the Aam Aadmi Party. —Kanwar Sandhu, Chief, AAP Manifesto panel

Cong pleases all in its manifesto

Promises Rs 2,500 stipend a month to jobless, free smartphones, job to each family

Congress leader Rana Gurjeet Singh and other leaders release party manifesto ahead of the Assembly elections in Amritsar on Monday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 9

With an objective to impress each section of society ahead of the Assembly elections, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) is dangling carrots to all of them in the manifesto here today released by senior Congress leader Rana Gurjeet Singh.As a majority of the state’s population falls in the youth category, hence they were the prime target. Promising to eradicate the drug menace within a month of assuming power, a stipend of Rs 2,500 a month to unemployed, free smartphones to youths and textbooks to all children and the last but not the least, job for a member of each family.When asked to comment over the way and means of providing such high number of jobs, Rana Gurjeet Singh said: “There will be annual budgetary allocation to the tune of Rs 2,200 crore to achieve the goal.”When quizzed on the procedure to generate such huge amount in the state, passing huge deficit budget every year, he countered that: “Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has spent Rs 6,500 crore during sangat darshans. These funds will be diverted under this head.”Next in the number are farmers in society so in the manifesto.He said the stand of the Congress on the contentious SYL Canal issue was consistent and clear that no additional water was available in Punjab. It promises waiver of agricultural debt, continuous free power, direct transfer of subsidies to prevent misappropriation, full input tax waiver for agro and food processing industries, farmers’ pension scheme, raising ex-gratia payment to Rs 10 lakh for families affected by suicides, crop insurance of Rs 20,000 per acre and provision of health, life and a plot-based crop insurance.Next came trade and industry, which is the second most employment-generation sector after agriculture. It promises affordable electricity at Rs 5 per unit, subsidised water and sewerage. Introduction of new industrial policy within 90 days and revamp of excise and taxation policy. Taking a leaf out of the AAP style of government, the Congress manifesto promises ending the VIP culture, bring sweeping economic reforms and total transparency in governance.A major chunk of voters — Dalits/SCs/OBCs — found mention in the promises of one job in every family and free houses for the homeless.Promises related to 33 per cent reservation for women in jobs and ex-servicemen, legislative reforms, war against corruption, education, health, tourism, transport, rural development, minorities, real estate sector, cooperatives, street vendors, labourers, safai karamcharis, gaushalas, media, ration depot holders, chowkidars, lambardars, jewellers, etc, cover almost all sections of society.

Youth prime target

• As a majority of the state’s population falls in the youth category, hence, they were the prime target. Promising to eradicate the drug menace within a month of assuming power, a stipend of Rs 2,500 a month to unemployed, free smartphones to youths and textbooks to all children andlast but not the least, job for a member of each family.

BATTLE FOR PUNJAB

Congress to probe SAD-BJP ‘scams’: Jakhar

Releases manifesto of the Congress in the city, hours after former PM Manmohan Singh launches it in Delhi

Senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar interacts with mediapersons during the release of the party’s manifesto in Bathinda on Monday. Tribune photo: Pawan sharma

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, Janaury 9

Senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar today claimed that the Congress would constitute six commissions to probe the ‘network of the mafia’ and ‘scams’ that had taken place under the patronage of SAD-BJP leaders, once the party comes to power.He said the Congress would also break the nexus between the government and corporate groups, which had been running in the state for the last 10 years.Jakhar said the Badal family had twisted the norms in their vested business interests and to loot public resources.The Congress leader claimed that the political power restricted to one family would not be tolerated.Speaking over the stone pelting on Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s convoy yesterday at Jalalabad, Jakhar said he condemned the incident as people should not resort to violence during the elections.From sources, he came to know that poor people wanted to meet the Deputy Chief Minister to tell him that funds send for making toilets had not reached them, but they were not allowed to meet him, Jakhar said, adding that helpless residents finally resorted to this act.Over the shifting of Doda to the Amritsar jail, Jakhar said he had written to CEO VK Singh, appealing him conduct raids at the Amritsar jail to avoid any untoward incident in elections as he had the information that DGP rank officials were linked with this and they were providing everything to the accused in the jail.He said two incidents within a span of one month — the first one was the Nabha jail break and now, the Fazilka jail incident — showed the total failure of the system.Jakhar was in the city today to release the manifesto of the Congress, a few hours later after the manifesto was officially launched by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in Delhi in the morning.

Stone pelting on Deputy chief minister

• Jakhar said the Badal family had twisted the rules to serve their vested business interests and to loot public resources
• On stone pelting on Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s convoy on Sunday at Jalalabad, Jakhar said he condemned the incident as people should not resort toviolence during the elections
• He said two incidents within a span of one month — the first was the Nabha jail-break and now, the Fazilka jail incident — showed the total failure of the system

Congress releases poll manifesto

Patiala MLA Preneet Kaur, along with other party leaders, releases the PPCC manifesto for the Assembly poll in Patiala on Monday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 9

Three MLAs from Patiala, Preneet Kaur, Brahm Mohindra and Hardyal Kambhoj, today attended a function at the District Congress Committee office where the Congress manifesto was released.“The Punjab Congress manifesto for the Assembly elections promises legislative and police reforms to improve the state’s law and order situation, which is in complete doldrums as a result of the criminal links and the stranglehold of ruling party leaders,” said Preneet Kaur.The manifesto lists out a series of new legislations the party will bring out when elected to power. These include the Right to Education Act, NRI Marriage Regulation Act, Child Labour Act, NRI Property Safeguard Act, Whistleblower Safeguard Legislation, Cable Authority Act amd Confiscation of Drug Dealers’ Property Act.