Akali Dal to struggle for transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab

Jalandhar, Feb 3 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) today reiterated that it would continue its peaceful and democratic struggle for fulfillment of the legitimate demand of transfer of Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab.

The party reiterated its stand in its manifesto released here today for the February 13 assembly polls.

The party said it had waged long battles for inclusion of Chandigarh and other Punjabi speaking areas in Punjab but successive Congress governments at the Centre had always scuttled this demand.

The party also observed that the present Amarinder Singh Government in Punjab had not raised this issue even once during its five-year term in office.

Stressing on the federal structure in the country, the party also advocated the need of cooperative federalism based on political and fiscal autonomy and promised to work for liberating development process from the ''clutches of fiscal and political centralisation on returning to power.

Talking to reporters, SAD president Parkash Singh Badal dispelled media persons' apprehension over party's priority to the contentious issues of transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab and settlement of river water dispute and said his party was very serious on these issues and would never back track from them.

UNI