Harsimrat lashes out at Cong govt for ‘misleading’ people

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 17

Union Minister for Food Processing and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday lashed out at the Congress government for “stopping the pension of the aged persons, the atta-dal scheme, shagun scheme and not waiving off the debt of farmers”.

She alleged that in the past two years, around 900 farmers had committed suicide in the state and the government’s promises of ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar’ had turned out to be false.

Further, Harsimrat alleged that Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had hiked the salaries of his party’s MLAs, whereas the salaries of teachers had been cut, which was totally unjustified.

Appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to open AIIMS in Bathinda, the union minister said the project would bring more development to the region as it would create more jobs for the youth.

She thanked the Union Government for the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Yojna, waiving GST from langar and for giving Rs 6,000 per year to the marginal farmers having less than 5-acre land.

Attacking Finance Minister and her estranged brother-in-law Manpreet Singh Badal, Harsimrat said he had made lofty promises, but did nothing for the people of the region. He even shut down the Bathinda thermal plant.

Later, the Bathinda MP distributed sewing machines to girls who had completed their course at Nanhi Chhaan sewing learning centres at Kaljharani and Nandgarh villages in Bathinda (rural) Assembly constituency.

In Kaljharani village, she gave sewing machines to 16 girls and at Nandgarh village 29 girls were given sewing machines. Harsimrat congratulated these girls for becoming self reliant.

While addressing the public, Harsimrat said around 150 learning centres had been opened by her, which made girls self reliant.

Also, Nanhi Chhaan had started celebrating lohri of girl child and had started the tree plantation drive. She appealed to the society to give equal honour to girls and boys. She also led the people in taking a vow to make all-out efforts to end dowry system in the society.

SAD leaders Amit Rattan Kotfatta, Gurdeep Singh Kotshamir, Harjit Kaljharani, Manmeet Singh, Gora Mahala, Jaswinder Ghudda and others were present on the occasion.