Punjab Newspaper

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee takes strong exception to the misleading, slanderous and malicious campaign launched by the SAD-BJP govt. at the cost of Public exchequer. Huge govt. sponsored advertisements appearing in many newspapers today are yet another bundle of lies to divert the attention of people. The advertisement issued by Water Supply and Sanitation Dept. is not only misleading but criticizes the previous Congress govt. in the following phrase “Congress govt. left you in tears of despair, we replaced the tears with waters of hope.” If the advertisement had been issued by the SAD from party resources it was another matter, but having issued such an ad at the cost of people’s money in order to gain political mileage shows how frustrated and unsure of their performance the Akali’s are.
The ad highlights a World Bank Scheme for a Rural Water Supply and Sanitation project worth Rs 1280 Crores. Firstly this project was sanctioned by the previous Congress govt., Secondly the Govt. of India which is headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh is instrumental in getting World Bank’s help, why then the Akali’s are trying to take undue credit? The govt. talks of reducing the contribution of General category households from Rs 1500 to Rs 800 and the S.C category from Rs 1500 to Rs 400. The deceptive part of the campaign is that it is not the households that have to contribute, it could be the Gram Panchayats, NRI’s, NGO’s or individuals that have to contribute 10% of the cost of Water Works project in general areas and 5% of the cost in Bet, Kandi, water logged and international border areas. The negative part of this World Bank Scheme is that not many Panchayats are willing to contribute their share of 10% or 5%, if the Gram Panchayat or NRI’s cannot contribute how do you think individual households would? Such propaganda claiming credit for this Rs 1280 Crore project has been going on by this govt. for the last one and a half years but there are no taker’s and it has not been implemented in even one Panchayat. Although a few Panchayats in Punjab have come forward for availing this Water Works project but none is at any concrete state.
Infact the SAD-BJP govt. has found an easy way to utilize govt. funds to criticize its political opponents merely because Lok Sabha elections are around the corner. Aware as the Akali’s are that there is strong resentment in every segment of the society and that the Congress is heading for a clean sweep in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, hence the SAD-BJP govt. is resorting to this cheap political gimmickry.
Keeping in view such violations by the state govt., I urge the Election Commission of India to immediately take serious cognizance of this politically motivated propaganda being unleashed in Punjab at the cost of Public exchequer. The state govt. must be censured and taken to task for this factually incorrect and politically aimed propaganda.