Declaring war against the Cable mafia allegedly run by the Badal clan, the Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday announced to fix the monthly rate of cable TV connection at Rs 100 to completely eliminate the cartelization of Cable from across the state.
Addressing a public gathering at Ludhiana’s Atam Nagar constituency, Channi said people are being unnecessarily harassed by the cable mafia by levying hefty charges which would not be tolerated anymore in the future.
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Channi said that all such businesses of transport and cable are owned by the former CM, Parkash Singh Badal’s family and now the people need not pay more than Rs 100 per month and strict action would be taken against those not adhering to the new rates. “If anyone harasses you, inform me,” the CM said adding all illegal bus permits would be revoked and in turn allotted to the unemployed youth.
Channi also announced that in the next 10 days, the services of all safai sewaks working in the municipal councils and corporations of the state would be regularised and there would be no condition of 10 years service, besides scrapping contract system for recruitment.
He said the historic decisions have already been taken for the welfare of poor people including a reduction in electricity rates by Rs Three per unit, waiving off arrears of electricity bills worth Rs 1500 Crore, fixed water bills at Rs 50 per month, fixing the rates of sand and gravel per cusec feet at Rs 5.50 besides providing free power to rural water supply schemes.
Emphasising his government’s commitment to ensure women empowerment, CM Channi said equal representation would be given to them in government and as well as in the party fold in the coming days. While lashing out at Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party leaders for misleading the Punjabis, Channi said that Punjabis are wise enough and could not be fooled by false promises adding that Punjab is the first state in the country that has the cheapest electricity.
