CHANDIGARH: The BJP on Saturday released its ‘report card’ on the performance of the Amarinder Singh government in its six months in office, listing several promises not kept and highlighting slippages in dealing with existing problems.
The party’s Punjab unit vice-president Harjit Singh Grewal and secretary Vineet Joshi said the loan waiver for farmers announced by the Congress government was a mockery of what was promised – a full waiver for all farmers.
They said the chief minister, after having promised a total waiver of dues, announced only a partial waiver in the Vidhan Sabha and then finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal watered it down further by allocating a meager Rs 1500 crore for it in the budget. “Then when it came to implementation, the government gave nothing in writing to the banks. Till that happens, farmers’ loans will not be waived. Then why make such fake announcements?” they asked.
The farm loan waiver failure is just symptomatic of the “betrayal” by the Congress regime, the BJP leaders said, listing several other promises forgotten: drug eradication within a month, a job for every household, Rs 2500 unemployment allowance, smart phones for the youth, Rs. 1500 pension for the elderly, etc.
They alleged that the farmer of Punjab has lost hope in the Amarinder Singh government. “During the first month of the new regime, a farmer suicide was reported every second day. Six months since then, two farmers are ending their lives daily. No less than 237 farmers have committed suicide during the Captain's 180 days of rule,” the BJP duo said.