Chandigarh, Dec 12 Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and two-time former Cabinet Minister Manoranjan Kalia on Friday accused the AAP government in the state of failing to present its report card of even basic development works done in villages in the rural elections despite being in the helm for over three and a half years.
He said that since the announcement of the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections, AAP ministers and leaders have held over 10 press conferences, yet not a single one highlighted rural development.
Instead of showcasing achievements, AAP leaders, he said, are engaged in baseless attacks to divert attention from real rural problems such as water scarcity, poor roads, weak health services, and incomplete development projects.
In the presence of state media head Vineet Joshi, former minister Kalia stressed that the three-tier governance structure makes local body elections the real performance audit for any ruling party.
“Before the December 14 elections, the AAP government must tell the people what meaningful work has been done for rural Punjab.”
Issuing a direct challenge to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the BJP leader told the media here, “Tomorrow is the last day of campaigning, let the AAP government name just one major achievement for Punjab’s villages.”
He added that votes were taken in the name of change, and accountability cannot be avoided.
Kalia further alleged that the AAP government has not fulfilled even one major manifesto promise, including re-enacting the Sir Chhotu Ram Rent Act, providing relief to debt-ridden farmers, offering Rs 10,000 monthly aid to labourers after crop loss, depositing Rs 21,000 at the birth of farmers’ daughter, setting up Aam Aadmi Clinics in every village, and giving Rs 10 lakh education loans to farmers’ children.
Kalia said that instead of prioritising rural welfare, the AAP government has chosen blame politics over real development, leaving villages neglected.
--IANS
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