Farmers Movement Archive

400 units of free power, discount on diesel: SAD's promises for Punjab polls

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal made a series of promises and announced a slew of schemes, as his party prepares for next year's assembly elections in Punjab. SAD is contesting the upcoming assembly polls in alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).Badal promised that if SAD is voted to power, 400 power units of electricity will be given free of cost to residential consumers across all categories. He also announced a discount of ₹10 per litre on diesel for tractors and agriculture purposes.Badal said that education and health will be top priority of SAD. He further announced ₹10 lakh medical insurance for all families"All Scheduled Caste scholarships will be revived, and the government would insure college level education to Scheduled Caste students free of cost," said Badal.He also said that it voted to power, the SAD plans to introduce a student card, offering a loan of ₹10 lakh to all students, with guarantee from state government. The interest on loan will be paid by the government with moratorium of three years.Finally, Badal termed the three farm laws passed by the Centre as 'black laws' and said they will be rejected if the alliance of SAD and BSP comes to power.Both the parties have joined hands after 25 years. SAD had contested the 2017 assembly elections in alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).While SAD will contest on 97 seats, the BSP will field candidates on 20. Punjab has 117 assembly seats.Of the 20 seats given to the BSP, eight are reserved for Scheduled Castes candidates and 11 are ones which SAD would leave for the BJP when the two parties were in an alliance.In the 2017 assembly elections, the BSP contested on 111 seats and managed a vote share of 1.59%.

Hindustan Times

03-08-2021

India