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Akali Dal manifesto calls for more power to the states

A complete restructuring of the Constitution, a truly federal structure in the country with the states having more economic, legislative and political powers. These were among the promises the Shiromani Akali Dal made in its manifesto.

A 12-page party manifesto released on Monday by SAD general secretary Kanwaljit Singh, who is also Punjab's finance minister, called for the scrapping of Article 356 of the Constitution. It also called for a review of a distribution of resources to favour the states and to make the chief minister's consent mandatory for appointment of governors.

Advocating constructive collaboration between the Centre and the states, the manifesto claimed the Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition in Punjab was opening a new chapter in Centre-state relations and ushering in an age of co-operative federalism.

Promising a clean, transparent and responsive government, the manifesto stated that everything would be done to maintain peace and amity throughout the country and that civil liberties and human rights would be protected at all costs.

Reaffirming its commitment to build a strong and prosperous India, the Akali Dal also pledged to fight "forces that resort to politics of intrigue and divisiveness, causing bloodshed and create mistrust among various communities for cheap political gains".

Holding the Congress responsible for "pushing the country and its people to the brink of social, political and economic disaster," the manifesto said the Congress would be "totally routed from the state and get the worst-ever drubbing in history at the national level".

Blaming the Congress for the unrest in Punjab during the past 15 years, the party vowed to continue to oppose politics of hatred, bitterness and bloodshed".

On the agriculture front, the manifesto highlighted the party's resolve to encourage export and link prices of agricultural produce to the overall price index. It also promised to bring more agro-industrial units to the state, streamline and modernise agro-marketing techniques and ensure better storage facilities for farm produce.

Stressing its resolve to uplift dalits and other downtrodden classes, the manifesto promised to extend schemes announced for dalits in Punjab to the rest of the country.

Referring to women, the manifesto said the SAD believed not only in equality in every sphere but was also committed to ensuring a place of high honour and respect for them in society.

Describing corruption as "a cancer in our society", the manifesto asserted that the party would fight it on a war footing. It said an effective Lok Pal would be set up at the Centre to probe cases of corruption justly, impartially and expeditiously. The guilty, no matter how high, would be given exemplary punishment, it promised.

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