CHANDIGARH, June 30: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Capt Amarinder Singh today released a list of 51 achievements of his government between 2002 and 2007 and asked the Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Badal to show if he really had anything to his credit.
Responding to Mr Badal’s demand that he should count five of his achievements, Capt Amarinder said, in the first phase he was not releasing just five but the list of 51 achievements during his regime and let Mr Badal come if he has any.He said, rather in stark contrast the Akali government has not a single achievement to its credit. He pointed out, the claims to generate surplus power, metro train and ring road in Ludhiana, to name only a few, have already fallen flat.
Capt Amarinder said, entire Punjab knew about his achievements as the Chief Minister. “But for the information of the Deputy Chief Minister who loves to remain blissfully ignorant about everything I have released the list of 51 achievements of my government and if Sukhbir wants more I can come out with many more”, Capt Amarinder said.
He pointed out, his government had sanctioned 367 mega projects with an estimated investment of more than Rs one lakh crores with job prospects for more than 13 lakh people. “Have you added anything beyond this count?” he asked Sukhbir.
The former Chief Minister said, his government had enacted Punjab Termination of Water Sharing Agreements 2005, had ensured hassle free procurement of food-grains, had introduced BT Cotton, set up Punjab Farmers’ Commission, brought in many private players to encourage diversification and introduced the farm to fork concept. “Tell me what have you done on the agriculture front?” Capt Amarinder asked him.
On the power front, he said, his government ensured, regular and un-interrupted power supply for 8 hours to farmers, decided to commission the Lehra Mohabbat Plant: Stage III to get 500 MW power which stands commissioned now. Similarly it was during his government that 168 MW Shahpur Kandi Project was started and for this the entire budget has been provided for by the Central government. He said, Implementation Agreement was signed for 500 MW Power Plant at Goindwal Sahib. Its foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister in Sept 2006 but, interestingly, the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal relaid the foundation stone. He said, and nothing more has been done on the power plant after that. He said, it was the Congress Government’s decision to set up Power Projects: One at Nabha, which has now been shifted to Rajpura and second at Talwandi Sabo. Compared to that, he reminded Sukhbir that he had promised to generate surplus power by 2010 and half of 2011 was past and Punjab was still plunged in darkness.
It was during his government, Capt Amarinder said, that 28 railway over and under-bridges and 18 road corridors were constructed. He said, “in fact most of the flyovers and over-bridges which have been completed or are being completed by the present regime were conceived and started during Congress regime”. Besides, the elevated road to Golden Temple in Amritsar was also started by his government.