Why not an all-party economic programme?

CHANDIGARH, March 11: It is a pleasure to listen to Manpreet Singh Badal, MLA from Gidderbaha, when he speaks in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Often making use of Urdu poetry. cogent in his arguments and yet soft in presentation, Manpreet today impressed the House and the galleries while moving a motion of thanks to the Governor8217;s address, when he challenged every one, including the media, to prove that the SAD-BJP government was responsible for the economic problems of the state. The young MLA, who did his schooling from Doon School and passed law from London, said the SAD-BJP government brought in massive industrial projects in the state like the terry towel project worth Rs 48 crore, ICI project worth Rs 70 crore, Ambuja cement unit worth Rs 100 crore, Sri Ram project worth Rs 250 crore and Seema Spintax unit worth Rs 50 crore. And those in the pipeline were the Rama Petrochemical Denim Project, costing Rs 450 crore, and ammonia-urea project worth Rs 1,500 crore. Manpreet said the time had come fordiversification from agriculture-based economy to industrialisation.

quot;Let all parties come forward to chalk out a common minimum economic programme in the larger interests of Punjab.quot; Politicians could continue their fights in the arena but exclude the economic front. He said that when the Akalis took over, the balance from the current revenue was negative.

When the development plan was worth Rs 2,500 crore, the state was paying an interest of Rs 4,000 crore annually. During the previous regimes, 80,000 excess employees were recruited which cumulatively cost the government 67 per cent of the earnings. And the Pay Commission award cost another Rs 1,000 crore.

quot;Woh Kaum Nahin Layak Hangama-e-Farda, Jis Kaum ki Takdeer mein amroz na ho,quot; he said.