Congress to contest polls on performance basis, says Amarinder

Ludhiana, Apr 29 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today said the Congress would contest the next Assembly elections solely on the basis of its performance that ensured all-round development and prosperity in the state.

Addressing a massive rally at grain market here , he claimed it was the Congress that initiated development process aimed at the welfare of all sections of the society viz farmers, industrialists, traders, dalits and employees.

He said that Punjab was ranked as No1 state in terms of infrastructure development and agricultural growth consecutively for the last three years as per the survey conducted by the prestigious media house -India Today.

''This achievement goes to our credit and spoke volumes of our due diligence and pragmatism, of how we resurrected the sagging economy inherited from our predecessors due to their policies of populism and opportunism'', he added.

Flaying the Akalis, Capt Singh asked Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) President P S Badal to introspect if he had done any thing tangible in the name of development during his three tenures as Chief Minister of Punjab.

He said the Congress party believed in delivering the goods effectively and ''by God's grace we have done our best for the welfare and development of the people as a moral responsibility and commitment''.

On the agricultural front, Capt Singh said that the concerted efforts of his Government had resulted in the announcement of bonus of Rs 50 per quintal on wheat from the Central Government in addition to the prevalent Minimum Support Price (MSP).

He categorically said that every farmer, including those who had sold their produce before the announcement of bonus, would be entitled to bonus.

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