A day after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) alleged the Congress government was taking credit of the work done by the previous Parkash Singh Badal government, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh on Thursday hit back saying the Akalis would not be sitting in the Opposition had they really worked for the welfare and benefit of the people during their 10-year-rule.

In a statement, the CM said the fact is that what had been done by SAD in the name of public welfare was actually just aimed at the welfare of one family. He said it was shameless attempt by Akalis to take credit for various welfare and development initiatives of his government.

“While governance was an ongoing exercise in continuity and his government had no qualms in acknowledging or continuing with any worthwhile projects of the previous regime, the Akalis’ effort to take credit for all the good work of his government was yet another lie being perpetrated by them on the people of Punjab,” said the CM.

Countering SAD president, Sukhbir Singh Badal’s claim on the interstate river water issues, the CM said the return of the land acquired for Satluj Yamuna Linl canal to the farmers was only the logical conclusion of the bold Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, passed by his government during his earlier stint.

On the ShahpurKandi Project, Captain Amarinder Singh said while the Akalis had launched the project in 2013, the fact was that the work was soon stopped by the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government .

It was only through his government’s continuous efforts with the J&K government and the Central government that approval had finally been granted in August 2017 for resumption of the work, he added.

The CM also lashed out at Sukhbir for his claim with regard to Kurki of farmers’ land, pointing out that it was the Congress government which had abolished Section 67A of Cooperatives Act, in line with its election promise.

Unlike the erstwhile SAD-BJP government, the Congress does not believe in making the farmer dependent on political patronage or official cooperation to safeguard his interests, said Amarinder, coming down heavily on the Akalis for ruining the farming community.

Acknowledging that free power for agriculture sector and scheduled caste, backward classes and below poverty line (SCs/BCs and BPL) families was a continuation from the previous government’s policy in this regard, the CM said his government had not only managed to carry the scheme forward, despite the legacy of fiscal debt inherited from the SAD-BJP, but had actually gone way beyond.

His government, said Amarinder, had expanded the ambit of the scheme to cover freedom fighters (300 free units) and industries (subsidized variable tariff of Rs Five per unit for next five years), which the Akalis never even thought of doing.

The CM was also critical of the Akali Dal’s campaign on the issue of free power from farmers. There was no question of taking away this benefit from the farmers, he added, rejecting the Akalis’s allegations to the contrary.