Chandigarh, June 15: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today hit out at former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, alleging that he had failed to initiate a single development project during his rule.
“It is a matter of record that except vendetta politics, Captain Amarinder Singh failed to initiate a single development project during his five-year tenure (2002-07) and now he is perplexed at projects worth thousands of crores of rupees initiated by SAD-BJP government fructifying,” Badal, who also heads the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, said.
Sukhbir asked Amarinder Singh, who is President of the Punjab Congress, to name at least five development initiatives completed during his tenure.
Speaking on the sidelines of a “Sangat Darshan” at Adampur in Jalandhar district, Badal alleged Congress has nothing to claim on the development front and said this is the reason why the party is trying to “divert the development agenda with negative politics”.
He said that he does not believe in entering into war of words with Congress leaders and his sole objective was to focus on development projects and “governance reforms”.
Replying to a question, he charged the Congress party with “deliberately delaying SGPC elections.”
“The Congress fears that overwhelming majority for Shiromani Akali Dal in these (SGPC) elections would be a trailer for upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections (due in February next year),” he said.
Rubbishing a media report regarding alleged cancellation of Municipal Infrastructure Development Fund of Rs 1100 crore, Badal said within a few days this fund would be released to to upgrade urban infrastructure.
In Jalandhar, Sukhbir Badal said he favoured the state government's ‘Right to Service' Act over the Lokpal Bill, saying mere implementation of the anti-graft law will not eliminate corruption.
Endorsing chief minister Parkash Singh Badal's comments that Prime Minister should not come under the ambit of Lokpal, he said, “There is a need for change in the system. Lokpal will only punish the corrupts but ‘Right to Service' act will actually stop people from indulging in corruption.”
In a major administrative reform, the Punjab government recently enacted the ‘Right to Service Act' aimed at providing citizen services to people as a right.
Asked about the additional VAT on petrol in the state, Sukhbir said, “Centre decides about the pricing of petroleum products and only the Cabinet can take a call on this.” PTI
