BJP-led alliance promises to waive debt of Punjab farmers

Chandigarh, Feb 4 (IANS) Eyeing to woo the farmers, who constitute an influential electoral cohort, the BJP-Punjab Lok Congress-Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) alliance on Friday released 11 resolutions for Punjab Assembly polls with a promise to waive the debt of farmers having less than five acres of land.

It promised a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to families hit by terrorism, if the alliance comes to power in the February 20 poll.

Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said the alliance government will set up a special task force to probe the sacrilege incidents and fast-track courts to try such cases.

The alliance promised to provide quality education, a government college in every tehsil and introducing the right to skill education.

Two-time Chief Minister and Punjab Lok Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh said the NDA government in Punjab would increase an ex-gratia grant given to soldiers who lay down their lives fighting for the nation to Rs 1 crore from Rs 50 lakh.

The alliance promised to introduce new technologies to curb the mining and liquor mafia and the Lokayukta to take on corruption cases, besides a task force to tackle the drug problem at the district level and a dope test for candidates contesting any elections.

About 2 crore voters of Punjab had voted the Congress, then led by Amarinder Singh, to a landslide victory in the 2017 Assembly election giving the party 77 seats in the 117-member Vidhan Sabha.

It later won three more seats in the bypolls held in October 2019, taking its strength to 80.

Assembly elections in Punjab will be held on February 20 and the counting of ballots on March 10.