Amritsar, December 22
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today spoke on how the AAP government had completely vitiated elections to Zila Parishads and Block Samitis. He said out of a total of around 2800 Block Samitis, nominations of SAD candidates had been rejected on 1100 seats compared to only 300 rejections of Congress candidates. He said in the Majha region, there were widespread rejections in various constituencies. He gave an account of how in Zira nominations in all 34 seats had been rejected, in Gurdaspur in all 21, in Dera Baba Nanak in all 38, in Bhoa in all 48, in Khemkaran in all 41, in Tarn Taran in 27 out of 31 seats and in Patti 32 out of 36 seats. He said the same was the situation in case of Zila Parishad elections despite which the SAD scored a very good strike rate.
The SAD president also described the physical obstruction of a peaceful Nagar Kirtan in New Zealand as a dangerous precedent. He said Sikhs had been invited to New Zealand and were not only citizens but had also made immense contributions to the country. “The New Zealand government should protect their right to observe their religious practises”. He appealed to the union government to take up the matter with its New Zealand counterparts to ensure such a situation did not recur again.
Menahile, Badal demanded the anti-poor Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G RAM G) law which replaces the central government funded Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) guaranteeing 100 man days labour to the disadvantaged be withdrawn immediately.
Putting across an impassioned argument for the repeal of the new law which replaces MGNREGA while addressing a press conference here, the SAD president criticised both the name change as well as the decision to change the character of the employment guarantee scheme by making States responsible for putting up 40 per cent of its cost. “The scheme was earlier named after the father of the nation – Mahatama Gandhi who freed India from British rule. Playing politics and changing its name is not right”. Badal also criticised the central government’s decision to make Centre – State contribution 60:40 respectively in the new scheme, saying States resorting to financial bungling or misusing funds like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, would not be able to implement the same leading to suffering to the poor and downtrodden.
Giving an example to buttress this statement, Badal said both the previous Congress and well as the present Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had ruined the financial health of Punjab. “Due to this the AAP government is not able to put its share in various schemes, including the Health and Family Welfare sector, preventing medical services from reaching all sections of society”. He said tomorrow in case the AAP government did not put its share in the VB G RAM G scheme Punjabis would be most affected. He also criticised the central government’s decision to curtail the scheme during certain periods, saying the man days on which the scheme would be available to the poor would be further reduced.
Asserting that the AAP government as well as all parties should jointly protest against the implementation of the new scheme, Badal said, “I am worried that AAP will not implement this scheme as it has wasted as much as Rs 4,400 crore on advertisements alone at the cost of putting its share in central schemes”. He also detailed how MGNREGA scams perpetrated by both Congress and AAP governments and their leaders in Punjab had led to unearthing of crores in corruption promoting the government to deny MGNREGA benefits in many districts as well as changing the very character of the scheme.
The SAD president said the VB G RAM G scheme was also against the federal system. “On the one hand all powers of the State are being usurped by the centre even as financial burden is being put on the States”. He said it was due to this reason that the SAD had called for a genuine federal structure twenty years back.
