Govt’s wrong policies led to industry’s flight: Cong
Thursday, 10/10/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131010/punjab.htm#6
Patiala : Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa today said the SAD-BJP government’s “wrong” policies were to blame for the industry’s flight to other states.
Decrying Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s claims of making Punjab power-surplus, Bajwa said such statements held no meaning when a majority of the industry had already migrated.
Bajwa, who was in the city to mobilise supporters for Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Sangrur tomorrow, said: “A large number of units have already shifted base to other states while many others are in the process of doing so. In such a scenario, the state’s power demand is sure to come down, which in itself will make Punjab power-surplus even if the Talwandi Sabo and Rajpura plants are not commissioned."
The PPCC chief claimed hardly any industry had come to Punjab in the last seven years. On the contrary, the ones that were here, including Hero Cycles, Sonalika and Nestle, were setting up their expansion units in other states because of the “huge burden” of taxes on these units, he said.
On some senior Congress leaders from Doaba being not much happy with his functioning, Bajwa said the party was like a family. “I am on good terms with all Congress leaders… the loyalties of all our leaders in the state are towards the party and the high command and not towards any individual," he said.
About speculations that Congress MLA from Rajasansi Sukhwinder Singh Sarkaria may join the Akali Dal, Bajwa alleged Sukhbir was trying to misguide the masses and making a desperate attempt to lower the morale of the opposition by spreading such rumours.
Condemning the attack on a Sikh family in Kutch, Bajwa said it was an alleged attempt by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to terrorise the Sikh community so that they vacate Kutch. “This is what Modi did to the Muslim community earlier. But that hasn’t stopped Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from giving the title of ‘Sardar’ to Modi,” he said.
