Congress releases manifesto in Punjab, promises sops to industry

Chandigarh, Jan 16 (ANI): Ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in Punjab, the Congress party is promising help to the industry and the unemployed, if elected to power.

In its election manifesto released on Sunday, the party assured that it would provide electricity and speedier clearances to the firms.

"900 units of our industry have left Punjab. Nobody is coming. Why? One of the reasons is that out of a week, the industry does not get power for three days. We are guaranteeing power. Now till our power is available, we will buy that power from the national grid and we will give it because this is the basic requirement for the industry," said former Chief Minister and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Captain Amarinder Singh.

"Secondly, any new company that wants to enter Punjab has to acquire 14 different clearances from the government. We are doing away with that. We are saying you do self-certification and anything anywhere is required, we are bringing it around into a single window clearance system," Singh added.

Singh, who served as the chief minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007, also raised the issue of graft while releasing the Congress manifesto and termed the SAD government as corrupt.

"Corruption has been rampant in the state. Since Independence, perhaps this has been the corruptest government at every district. People are feeling the pressure. Nowhere can you go in Punjab, nobody can go and get any work done without paying money. I think the upper level and the Chief Minister downwards should be looking at it. This whole government is corrupt, ministers are being thrown out. You all know who is corrupt and who is not corrupt. On the other side, at the lower level, we want a vigilance commission which functions as a vigilance commission and not as a political tool in Badal's hands," he added.

Punjab is one of five states due to hold elections this year. As per the schedule announced by Election Commission, the state assembly poll in Punjab would be held on January 30.

In Punjab, the main battle is expected to be between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)- Bharatiya Janata Party alliance and the Congress party. Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and son of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, heads the SAD. (ANI)