Dhuri (Punjab), June 7 (IANS) Calling for political change in Punjab, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday said the enthusiasm of the people of this town clearly indicated a strong wave of change in the state.

Addressing a public gathering in Dhuri, the Assembly represented by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, he said the Chief Minister “knows little beyond cracking jokes”. “Jokes can run cinema halls, but they cannot run governments,” he remarked, adding that the people of Punjab “are now tired of the politics of false promises and hollow assurances and are ready to choose a new path of development, good governance, and transparent administration”.

Chief Minister Saini said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders portray themselves as revolutionaries, but in reality, they mislead the public about the work and achievements of others in an attempt to hide their own shortcomings. He said Dhuri is the Chief Minister’s own constituency, yet he has distanced himself not only from Punjab but also from Dhuri.

“Punjab was once far ahead of many states in terms of development, but political parties pursuing their own interests have pushed it into the category of lagging states. Today, the war against drugs in Punjab is being fought only through newspaper advertisements, while little is being done on the ground,” he added.

CM Saini said Punjab’s farmers are the nation’s food providers. These farmers trusted the Aam Aadmi Party and voted for it in 2022, but neither have all crops received the benefit of minimum support price (MSP), nor are farmers being adequately compensated for crop losses. He described this as the biggest betrayal of farmers and said they would respond to it in the coming elections.

“In contrast, Haryana is the first state in the country where the government procures all farmers’ crops at MSP. Similarly, Haryana is far ahead in compensating farmers for losses caused by natural disasters.” He said that after crop damage caused by rains and floods last year, Haryana provided financial assistance of Rs 16,500 crore to farmers. “Farmers bringing their produce to mandis receive their J-Forms online immediately, and payment is credited to their accounts within 72 hours.”

The Chief Minister said Punjab had only recently freed itself from the Congress, as AAP had made grand promises and painted rosy pictures before the people. “Innocent people trusted those promises, and Punjab continues to suffer the consequences. In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party believes not merely in making promises but in implementing them on the ground.”

Referring to the development initiatives undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CM Saini said the Central government has launched several historic schemes for the welfare of the poor, farmers, youth, women and disadvantaged sections of society, benefiting millions across the country.

He said progressive cities like Dhuri were once centres of economic activity, but the current government’s indifferent policies have pushed them behind in the race for development.

“Many industries in Punjab are on the verge of closure. In contrast, the “double-engine” government in Haryana has brought positive changes to people’s lives over the past eleven and a half years. Through transparent governance, benefits of welfare schemes have been delivered to every citizen without discrimination,” CM Saini added.

–IANS

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