The Shiromani Akali Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party (SAD-BSP) alliance on Tuesday released its manifesto for the Punjab Assembly polls with a slew of what it called “brave and path-breaking initiatives” including 75 per cent reservation in all government and private jobs in Punjab for Punjabis.

The manifesto promised to shift to clean Solar Energy to ensure zero-bill electricity to every house, student cards of Rs10 lakhs each for quality education anywhere and Rs 10 lakh free annual health insurance.

The manifesto also promised Rs 2000 per month to all women heads of blue card families, five lakh pucca houses and five marla pots each to homeless poor and hiking old age pension to Rs 3100, Shagun scheme amount to Rs 75000. The manifesto also promises Rs Five lakh interest-free loan for every youth, especially women, to start their own enterprise.
Releasing the manifesto at a joint press conference at the SAD headquarters, the party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, joined by the BSP in charge of Punjab affairs, Randhir Singh Beniwal, said,

“We will completely transform the lives of the people of our state in every sphere. We have prepared a practical road for revolutionising agriculture by a state-sponsored shift to the commercial exploitation of our farmers potential,”.

To open up professional avenues, the manifesto promises flying academies to train pilots, flight engineers and cabin crew on a cost to cost basis to save youth from prohibitive training fees running into multiple lakhs. On the political and social front, Badal said the alliance is committed to peace and communal harmony as fundamental conditions for any progress.

The two leaders said that the alliance is committed to the idea of a genuine federal structure in the country and will continue to fight to secure justice for the state in river waters, territorial, political and religious matters. The manifesto said all seats in advanced educational and professional institutions including medical or engineering will be reserved for students from government schools.

On the agriculture front, the manifesto promises a contributory pension scheme for small, marginal, semi-medium and medium farmers, a Farm Input Price Stabilizer Corpus Fund of Rs100 Crore.

“A Crop Insurance scheme of Rs 50,000 per acre will be introduced for all farmers,” Badal said adding Diesel will be provided Rs 10 per litre cheaper than the prevailing prices for agriculture purpose.

The manifesto spells out plans to digitise governance to make it transparent and accountable. Badal said the sale of liquor and sand will be regularised through corporations, opening up opportunities for the deserving unemployed educated youth.