Amarinder claims Congress will win Assembly polls in Punjab

Mansa (Punjab), Oct 11 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today claimed, the Congress would win the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state with a thumping majority on the plank of performance and form the next Government to complete its unaccomplished agenda of development.

Addressing, public rallies at Jhunir and Budhlada in this district, he said, the Congress was the only party that could ensure overall development and prosperity in the state due to its progressive and visionary policies aimed at the welfare of all the sections of the society.

Capt Singh said the position of Congress was strong enough as the people had acknowledged the development-oriented programmes of the State Government.

Launching a scathing attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal President Parkash Singh Badal, the Chief Minister appealed to the people of Punjab not to be misled by ''false'' and ''malicious'' propaganda of Mr Badal who was apprehensive of Congress party's strong hold amongst the masses on the basis of magnificent performance during its tenure.

He asked the people to draw a comparison between the performance of SAD and Congress Party to ascertain themselves who was their real well wisher.

He asked the Akalis what tangible work they had done for the welfare of farmers, industrialists, dalits, youth and a common man during their rule. ''On the contrary our Government took bold initiatives to revive the sagging economy that we inherited from the Akalis'', he added.

Capt Singh said that SAD was no longer a private estate of the family of Mr Badal and the latter had always been trying to promote his own clan in one way or the other, thereby throwing all the ethics of the traditional Akali Dal formed way back in 1920 to expouse the cause of Sikh Panth.

He said that his Government was committed to the overall development and prosperity of farmers and added that Akalis were apprehensive of the fact that they would lose their so-called vote bank once the farmers became economically self reliant. He said that Reliance Industries Limited was setting up 351 rural hubs in the state to provide marketing network and extensive services to the farmers besides crop insurance and banking facilities.

Capt Singh said the State Government had set up Education Commission to provide quality education to the students. He said that his Government had provided 60,000 jobs to youth during its tenure as compared to 30,000 jobs provided during the Badal regime.

Earlier the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of Baba Dhyan Dass Neighbourhood Campus of Punjabi Unviersity, Patiala, here to provide higher education to the rural students. He annouced a grant of Rs five crore for the establishment of this campus besides Rs two crore provided by the University.

He also laid the foundation stone of Grain Market at a cost of Rs 2 crore. He lanuched a scheme of 100 per cent drinking water in Budhlada town at a cost of Rs 2.60 crore. He also laid the foundation stone for the repair and strengthening the Bhikhi-Budhlada-Ratia road and Budhlada-Jakhar-Moonak road at a total cost of Rs 212 crore.

Capt announced a grant of Rs 1.5 crore for the development of the villages in Budhlada sub-division besides Rs 25 lakh each for Municipal Councils of Bareta and Budhlada.

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