Punjab Assembly Elections Updates: Boosting Industrial Growth is a Top Priority for SAD’s President Sukhbir Singh Badal 

SAD’s President Sukhbir Singh Badal catches up with prominent industrialists at President of FICO, Gurmeet Singh Kular’s residence

Ahead of elections, Akali Dal’s president Sukhbir Singh Badal interacts with industrialists, assuring them that boosting industrial growth is on his party’s top priority list if elected for another term. The meeting was organized at the president’s residence of the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organization (FICO). 

Badal expressed that he sympathizes with the recession period that the industry is undergoing because of frequent lockdowns that Covid 19. To help industrialists flourish in this crisis, he assures that his party plans on rolling back total enhancement fees for all focal points in Punjab if elected to power.  

Badal adds that a particular focus shall be cast on infrastructures like enhancing roads and street lights in industrially-rich areas. His assurances include the promise of providing electricity at 5 rupees per unit coupled with a project aimed at generating solar power.  

In addition, Badal told industrialists that he understands that Ludhiana acts as the hub of 75% of India’s bicycle and sewing machine industry. A whopping 90% of this industry functions in mixed land-use regions.

Considering this, he assures that, if elected, his party will reserve these mixed land-use areas permanently for MSMEs (Micro, small and medium enterprises). He informs that he will designate the Dhanansu focal point for the flourish of MSMEs.  

He informed that the cycle valley project started by the Akali Dal government should be completed within six months of consolidating power in the state.

Harking back to his government’s record of building the Mohali International Airport and Amritsar International Airport, Badal asserts that, if elected, his new government will aim at completing the Ludhiana International Airport as soon as possible to make Punjab a thriving center of global connectivity.  

Brief Overview of Sukhbir Badal’s stakes at upcoming Assembly elections: 

Sukhbir Singh Badal is a fourth-time candidate from the rural segment of Jalalabad, which has been his stronghold since 2009. Akali Dal’s chief challenges in this election are expected to come from Congress after the announcement of Charanjit Singh Channi, a vital leader representing the interests of the Scheduled Castes, including Dalits, as the CM candidate from their party. Channi is expected to garner massive support from the Dalit community in the upcoming elections.  

Other heavyweight candidates who will challenge Badal’s authority this election include AAP’s face for the post of CM, Bhagwant Mann. In 2017, he had engaged Badal in a tough electoral battle that had ended with Badal’s marginal victory of 18,500 votes. 

On the other hand, the last-minute exit of Congress MLA Raminder Awla from the electoral battleground of the Jalalabad constituency will indeed work in favor of Sukhbir Badal, who already has a formidable stronghold here.  

Published By – Pawan Rajput

Edited By – Mahi Gupta