Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: Slashing diesel prices by Rs 10 a litre for farmers and offering Rs 2,000 a month to women blue card holders are the salient promises in a 13-point charter released by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday. SAD and BSP have forged a pre-poll alliance for the 2022 Assembly polls.
The joint charter assures power at Rs 5 per unit for industries, interest-free loan of Rs 10 lakh to students and says 75% jobs would be reserved for Punjab youth in the private sector. The slew of initiatives, covering all sections of the society, also include free power up to 400 units a month to all households and doing away with the outstanding residential bills of all blue card holders. All connections of BPL families — disconnected due to nonpayment of bills — will be restored.
Sukhbir also announced a health insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh per annum to cover treatment, medicine, diagnostic test, surgery and medical equipment cost at all public and private hospitals.
Speaking about the initiatives planned for the agricultural sector, Badal said legislation would be passed in the state assembly to ensure that the three agriculture laws were not implemented in Punjab. He said the government would introduce MSP for fruits and vegetables and pay the differential in case of reduction in prices to farmers.
Stating that the next SAD-BSP government would prioritize health and education, Sukhbir said 500 bed Government Medical Colleges with super-specialty facilities would be established in every district. He also announced a 33% reservation for students passing from government schools at all colleges.
