Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday announced to ‘reward merit” and give fifty per cent reservation on all posts to youngsters.

Launching the global youth membership drive of the Youth Akali Dal (YAD) under the aegis of the ‘Punjab Di Shaan, Saade Naujawan” programme, Badal said that all youth who would register 250 members will be appointed as youth delegates.

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“These delegates will play a key role in the formation of the youth body including district presidents who will also be appointed if they register 2,000 members with their recommendation,” he said, adding the membership drive would be completed by 31 December this year.

The SAD leader said only those leaders who registered 2,000 members with their recommendation would be considered for the post of district president. He said that the age limit for the district level body was 35 years and that for the state body was 40 years.

Badal said that youth leaders who proved their mettle in the organisation would be fielded by the party in elections to the local bodies as well as committees and corporations.

He said presently as many as 35 former YAD leaders had been appointed as halqa incharge in the SAD. He also announced that the youth would also be given a larger role in the Lok Sabha election campaign with three senior vice presidents, three vice presidents and three general secretaries being appointed for each Lok Sabha seat.

Badal said the SAD would come up with a youth programme aimed at resolving all grievances of youth as well as making a road map for creating employment as well as entrepreneurial opportunities for them. “We are also aware of the need to skill our youth to ensure they get ahead in life,” he added.