SAD powers poll entry

Banawala (Mansa): SAD (Badal) on Tuesday used the foundation stone laying ceremony of the 1980 MW thermal power plant at Talwandi Sabo to its full advantage by kick-starting its poll campaign for the parliamentary polls.

The loud tone used by former CM Amarinder Singh at an impressive rally in Malwa hinterland recently seems to have forced the Akalis to answer in the same tone. Euphoric and proud projecting itself as the party that would actually rid the state of power shortage, the SAD rank and file asserted that their party had heralded a new beginning on the power front that would lead the state on the path of development.

The CM lead the SAD leaders in projecting a grim picture on the power front and accused the previous Congress government for all the ills, saying they did not initiate any efforts to enhance power generation.

Lambasting Amarinder Singh, CM PS Badal said he (Amarinder) had no time to think for people's welfare and remained indulged in 'aishprasti' (making fun). In fact, every leader of some significance left no stone unturned to criticize Amarinder. Coming back to the power front, Badal said the Talwandi Sabo power plant would be the biggest in the state and would come up in three years with an investment of Rs 10,000 crore, thus making Punjab self-reliant in power sector.

Sukhbir Badal said three more power plants were in the pipeline and in the next four months work on Rajpura, Goindwal and Gidderbaha plants would also start. He said SAD government's next priority would be to provide safe drinking water to rural folks and also education and health services to all.

He said 100 new water channels would be laid in the state to overcome canal water shortage. Sukhbir tried to lure the schedule castes saying the Congress has done nothing for the 40% SC population.

'Locals will be given preference for jobs'

Terming power as the first step towards development, Vedanta group chairman Anil Aggarwal said without power no state or country could be prosperous. Chairing the power plant foundation stone laying ceremony here on Tuesday. "Local youths will be given preference while recruiting persons for the plant and about 7,000 persons will get employed at the plant where maximum workforce intake will be from the local population," Aggarwal said.

Source : Times Of India