CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday announced that the party would give 50 per cent seats to women in panchayat and local body elections, besides reserving 33 per cent seats for women while nominating candidates for the state assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing the first all-women conference at the Maghi Mela in Muktsar, Badal said, “The SAD is also committed to giving a boost to all social welfare initiatives concerning our women folk once we come to power in the state.”
He said the Shagun scheme, which had been discontinued by the Aam Aadmi Party government, would be restarted. “We will also give lentils under the ‘aata-daal’ scheme, which has been severely curtailed presently, besides increasing the old-age pension to Rs 2,500 per month.”
Badal said Punjabis have been betrayed both by the Congress and AAP. “The Congress promised to waive off farmer loans, but did nothing,” he said, adding that AAP made more grandiose promises of doubling the supply of flour and raising old age pension, but didn’t keep them.