Punjab polls: 75 pc quota in jobs for locals, expansion of MSP in SAD-BSP poll manifesto

Chandigarh, Feb 15: Making a strong pitch for "Punjab for Punjabis", the SAD-BSP alliance on Tuesday released its poll manifesto, promising 75 percent reservation in jobs in government and private sectors for domiciled youths and MSP on fruits, vegetables and milk, besides a number of freebies, if it is elected to power in the state.

The Shiromani Akali Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance also promised 400 units of free power for all households, Rs 10 lakh free annual health insurance, Rs 2,000 per month to all women heads of blue card holder families (BPL beneficiaries) as well as 5 lakh houses and five marla plots each to homeless poor. Its leaders said that the alliance is committed to the idea of a genuine federal structure in the country and will continue to fight to secure justice for the state in river waters, territorial, political and religious matters.

They announced sops for various sectors including education, health, agriculture and social welfare. The manifesto said old-age pension will be increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,100, increase in 'Shagun' scheme to Rs 75,000. Under the Punjab government's Shagun scheme currently, an amount of Rs 51,000 is given for the marriage of women belonging to Scheduled Caste and Backward Classes.

It also promised Rs 5 lakh interest-free loan for every youth, especially women to start their own enterprise. Punjab will go to the polls on February 20. After releasing the manifesto here, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and BSP in charge of Punjab affairs, Randhir Singh Beniwal said, " Our blueprint for taking Punjab and Punjabis into the brave new era makes a strong pitch for combining the much-needed thrust on social welfare with path-breaking initiatives for sustained, inclusive and futuristic progress and development."

They said 75 percent of all government and private jobs in the state will be reserved for Punjabis. They further said 33 percent of seats in professional courses will be reserved for government school students. On the agriculture front, the manifesto promised a contributory pension scheme for small, marginal, semi-medium and medium farmers and a farm input price stabilizer corpus fund of Rs 100 crore.

"A crop insurance scheme of Rs 50,000 per acre will be introduced for all farmers. Diesel will be provided at Rs 10 per litre cheaper than the prevailing prices for agriculture purposes," they said.

Minimum support price (MSP) on fruits, vegetables and milk will be given and every farmer and farm labour will get health insurance Rs 10 lakh. Besides promising 100 new integrated pack house facilities for fresh fruits and vegetables to boost export, it said a 4 percent waiver on interest scheme for agriculture loan up to Rs 3 lakh will be given.

On the education sector, they said, "We will open dedicated and highly professionally run schools of 5000 students in every block, with complete staff and modern facilities." The two leaders said that the sale of liquor and sand will be regularised through corporations, opening up opportunities for the deserving unemployed educated youth. PTI