Written by: Express News Service
3 min readChandigarhMar 28, 2009 12:51 AM IST
First published on: Mar 28, 2009 at 12:51 AM IST
A day after the BJP promised additional floors in residential and commercial areas for city residents,Congress candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal today assured the electorate of affordable housing if his party is voted to power.
Addressing a public meeting jointly called by the Haryana Government Press Employees’ Union and the UT Government Press Employees’ Union,Bansal said that affordable houses will be constructed on an area ranging from 300 square feet to 1,200 square feet.
Bansal defined the word ‘affordable’ as: “a situation in which no employee will have to pay more than 30 to 40 per cent of his monthly salary as installment charges,the payment period of which shall not extend beyond 10 years.
“We have not privatised our banking sector and today we have a well-monitored club of 26 nationalised banks. Our policies are directed towards paving a secured economic future,” said Bansal.
Raising the issue of employment on compassionate grounds,Bansal added that along with the 5 per cent existing quota,talks have also been finalised to give sufficient ex-gratia to the affected family members of the employees.
Toeing the lines of the BJP and the Congress,Bahujan Samaj Party candidate for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections Harmohan Dhawan also promised all government employees that houses will be provided to them if and when he is voted to power.
While addressing a rally of Punjab and UT Employees’ Joint Action Committee at Sector-17 Plaza on Friday,Dhawan also promised to increase the retirement age for government employees to 60 years.
While criticising the non-implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission,Dhawan said: “The employees are the backbone of the government and denying them their dues is totally wrong.”
Dhawan also addressed a public meeting at the Sector-24 Dobhi Ghaat. He promised better facilities for the Dhobi Association if the electorate votes him to power.
Ambika misses date with Anandpur Sahib
Mohali: Contrary to the statement issued by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) secretary Gurkirat Singh Kotli,Union Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Ambika Soni failed to turn up to launch the election campaign of Congress candidate from Anandpur Sahib,Ravneet Singh Bittu,on Friday.
Kotli,a cousin of Bittu,had claimed on Thursday that Soni,who was denied the party ticket from Anandpur Sahib,was to launch the Congress campaign from the same seat.
Bittu,meanwhile,led a cavalcade of party leaders and workers from Mohali to Anandpur Sahib,where they paid obeisance at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib and Naina Devi shrine. Kharar Congress MLA Balbir Sidhu and several members from the family of slain Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh,who was Bittu’s grandfather,also joined Bittu from Mohali. Bittu maintained that the party is united and that it will leave no stone unturned in strengthening the hands of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
Share
