Amritsar, Dec 7 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister AmarinderSingh today said he would go in for cabinet expansion afterDecember 18, but ruled out appointment of a deputy chiefminister, for which, he asserted, the Congress has noconvention.
Rejecting allegations that the Congress government failedto implement many of its poll promises, he said, "It is notpossible to implement all promises in eight months, given thefinancial crisis inherited from the earlier SAD-BJPdispensation."Addressing a press conference following the launch of theCongress Vision Document for the state's urban development,Amarinder Singh said, the state government is struggling togenerate its own resources, including loans, to fulfill itsresponsibilities and promises.
Flanked by state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and LocalBodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, the chief minister saidthe process of farm loan waiver would begin after the civicpolls and distribution of smart phones would also begin soon.
All things are dependent on resources, which takes timeto manage, he said.
"We will go in for cabinet expansion after thedeclaration of the Gujarat poll results, on December 18," thechief minister said.
Influx of industries in the state would help boostresource generation, Amarinder Singh said, adding hisgovernment has signed MoUs to the tune of Rs 50,000 croresince March this year.
On the GST issue, the chief minister said the problem waswith its implementation, which had been done by the centralgovernment without properly thinking about it.
He disclosed that his government was mulling a change inthe excise policy to make it more beneficial for the state andpolicies in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan were beingexamined.
Regarding December 17 civic polls in Punjab, AmarinderSingh said deserving MLAs and individuals were being chosen,based on feedback received by the committee set up for thispurpose.
About the Congress' prospects in the Gujarat elections,he said information received from senior party colleagues wasthat the contest was going to be neck-and-neck, with a strongpossibility of silent voters swinging the mood.
Amarinder Singh, who had to cancel his proposed visit toGujarat because of the cyclone alert, said Rahul Gandhi'selevation to the post of Congress president would have apositive impact on the election.
On the recent attempts by radical forces to disturb peaceand stability in Punjab, the chief minister said hisgovernment was working closely with central agencies to crackdown on such elements, "working at the behest of the ISI".
Asked about gangsters operating from prisons tofacilitate the radical groups, he said all steps were beingtaken to block such communication and 2G jammers are beingreplaced with 4G ones. PTI SUNNSD.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.