SAD-BJP coalition would create industrial clusters to promote growth in Punjab: Jaitley

Jalandhar, Jan 24 (ANI): With just six days left for assembly polls in Punjab, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP coalition would create industrial clusters to promote growth in the state, if re-elected to power.

Releasing a party manifesto here, Jaitley said if elected, the SAD-BJP coalition would create industrial clusters to promote growth in the state.

"After conducting survey of people below poverty line, we will be providing subsidised food, we have been giving it before and we will continue to do so. Public distribution will be strengthened. All the public designations that are empty will be filled in a transparent manner," he said.

Punjab's economy will be industrialised so that industry can again be revived in the state, it would also lead to job creation and more revenue for the state government through taxes," he added.

Jaitley further targeted the Congress party introduced Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), stating that each state had its specific needs for the scheme and the Congress party should not consider the money allotted to scheme as its own wealth.

"The money allotted to the states is not the personal money of the Congress party, it is the money of the tax payer and to consider the tax payers money as the personal wealth of any family or political party is not justified," he said.

The tax-payers of Punjab are getting the returns for their tax money paid to the government. The number of unemployed, surplus labour willing to work on the pay grounds under that scheme, depend on that state's economic condition," he added.

Punjab is one of five states due to hold elections this year. As per the schedule planned 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 SAD- BJP 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)