Jakhar alleges misuse of border funds on Sangat Darshan
Tuesday, 25/10/2011
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111025/punjab.htm#10
Sunil Jakhar, Congress legislator and Chairman of the Flagship Programme Monitoring Committee, Punjab, has alleged that the backwardness of the border areas of Punjab is being used by the SAD-BJP government of Punjab to finance its Sangat Darshans.
In a statement issued here today, he said that the lack of even the basic amenities such as sanitation, drinking water, and health facilities in these areas is being showcased by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to extract more funds from the Centre.
Under the Border Area Development programme, the UPA government has already released Rs 84.37 crore to the Punjab government for the current financial year. Similarly, he said, hundreds of crores had been received by the Punjab government in the last four years of their rule under this scheme. For want of any planning and vision for development, these funds are invariably misappropriated and used to finance Sangat Darshans, he alleged.
The distribution of these funds as largesse to favourites and party workers by Parkash Singh Badal, has resulted in massive bungling of funds, without any concrete development at the ground level, which is the main reason why these areas continue to be in this miserable state. The Congress legislator said that even if a small part of these funds could be used to provide a fiscal incentive to set up industries in these areas, the complexion of the whole economy of Punjab would change. The employment generated through these industries would also wean the youth away from drugs and sponsors of cross-border terrorism.
The half-hearted effort by Sukhbir Badal to get Maruti Suzuki to set up its plant in Punjab is very intriguing, he added. A comparison between the benefits accruing to the state from these plants raises very serious questions. The envisaged car plant will generate revenues that will help a revenue-deficit state like Punjab immensely. Haryana gets a substantial portion of its revenue from the auto hub, situated at Manesar, comprising of Maruti Suzuki and Hero Motor Corporation alone, he said.
He said that disappointed with the attitude of the Akali Dal-BJP alliance, he had written to Maruti Suzuki to explore the opportunity of investing in Abohar.
