M A I N   N E W S

SAD promises fast-track courts on anti-Sikh riots
Manifesto pledges industrial package, more jobs
Sarbjit Dhaliwal & Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
The Shiromani Akali Dal on Monday stuck to its “traditional” issues of transfer of Chandigarh and Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab, non-sharing of river water and justice for anti-Sikh riot victims in its manifesto.

SAD chief Sukhbir Badal (R) and party leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa during the release of party’s manifesto in Bathinda. Tribune photo

Releasing the manifesto, party president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal promised the moon to the electorate. Hardselling SAD-BJP unity and the installation of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government in New Delhi, he asked the people to look at the strength of Modi-Badal-Jaitley combo, which, he said, would bring unprecedented growth in all sectors and regions of the state.

The manifesto, released in the presence of MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (chairman, SAD manifesto committee), MP Balwinder Bhunder and Harcharan Bains (member, manifesto committee) and Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka termed peace and communal harmony in the state as the party’s top priority and blamed successive Congress-led governments at the Centre for the state’s ills. The 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab are going to polls on April 30.

Despite bonhomie claims, BJP and SAD did not appear on the same page on the issue of sharing of river water. The Akali manifesto and Sukhbir’s reply later to media questions made it clear that Punjab was against the inter-linking of rivers. The BJP advocates the linking of river water for improving irrigation across the country. Sukhbir clarified that by inter-linking, the BJP meant to save river water being wasted into the sea, which was not applicable to Punjab since it was a Riparian state.

The manifesto also promises the setting up of fast-track courts to try cases and ensure justice for victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. “These fast-track courts would hear ongoing cases and reopen old cases.” He condemned Capt Amarinder Singh for giving a “clean chit” to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler for his alleged role in the riots. Sukhbir said a commission of inquiry will be set up under a Supreme Court judge to “inquire into the political conspiracy behind the massacre and expose and punish the real conspirators. The scope of the commission will also cover the sequence of events to bring to book those who shielded the guilty after the conspiracy of mass murders had been meticulously executed.”

Insisting there was no compromise on river waters, Sukhbir said the SAD and the BJP would form a common minimum programme (CMP) after the elections to decide contentious issues, including property tax, which he said was enforced during the rule of the Amarinder-led Congress government at the UPA government’s behest. He said the party would try to revoke it. Terming his estranged cousin Manpreet Badal as “bechara”, Sukhbir claimed the Akalis would win the prestigious battle for Bathinda by a huge margin and would pocket all seats in the state.

He outright rejected the demands of Sangrur and Faridkot voters -- supported by sitting MP and SAD-BJP candidate Paramjit Kaur Gulshan -- to open poppy husk and opium vends. He said he wasn’t aware Gulshan had supported the demand, adding the Akali Dal wanted the Rajasthan vends to be shut as well.

Sukhbir said the manifesto’s thrust area was to seek industrial and development packages, better grants, more financial powers, formulation of schemes by states as per need, and laying down of a “true” federal structure in which half the Central taxes were given to states.

With speci al emphasis on industrial and IT growth, the manifesto assured the creation of three lakh job avenues for Punjabi youth. Sukhbir said SAD will work in the new NDA government to ensure farmers received minimum support price (MSP) for their crops as per the Swaminathan Formula, which assures 50 per cent profit to farmers. The party would aim to get MSP for crops others than wheat and paddy to bring about much-needed diversification.

The SAD promised income tax exemption for agriculture-allied fields. It promised to launch international marketing chains for Punjab farmers to encourage value added exports and domestic trading of ethnic food. “Mohali, Ludhiana and Amritsar will be developed as IT hubs while Amritsar will be developed as a global tourism hub. International flights from Mohali International Airport will be started soon, as will be domestic flights from Bathinda, Pathankot and Adampur. The Sahnewal airport will be upgraded and provided a longer airstrip to accommodate bigger aircrafts.”