'SAD-BSP alliance to probe misappropriated MNREGA funds, if voted to power': Sukhbir Badal

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal stated that the next SAD-BSP government will order a probe into embezzlement of MNREGA funds by Congress leader and corruption charges will be registered against those found guilty. While addressing a public gathering, Badal assured that the recovered money will be spent on public works if the alliance forms the government in the state.

Sukhbir Singh Badal on Misappropriated MNREGA Funds

"Cong leaders misappropriated MNREGA funds to the tune of thousands of crores by indulging in bogus billing & overcharging for tiles, pavers & other construction work. All such misdeeds will be probed & corruption cases will be registered after the Akali-BSP alliance forms govt", he tweeted.

Sukhbir Singh Badal Slams State govt on Paddy crops & Dengue Crisis

The SAD president further said that the grain markets across the state has been shut prematurely when the paddy crop had still not been harvested. "It's condemnable that Mandis are being closed when paddy crop is yet to be harvested as now the farmers would be forced to sell short". This is being done under pressure from the central government", said Badal.

He also highlighted the ongoing Dengue crisis and the state government's lack of concern over the spread of the disease. 

"On dengue crisis, the Congress government is behaving the same way it did during the COVID pandemic when more than 17,000 Punjabis lost their lives. More than 20,000 Dengue cases have been registered in the state but nothing is done to control its spread. 

On Sunday, Badal campaigned for the SAD-BSP candidate from Gill constituency S. Darshan Singh Shivalik ahead of Punjab Assembly polls. He conducted a 5 km roadshow on the Malerkotla road as hundreds of youth with Kesari flags escorted him to the next event.

SAD-BSP Alliance

For the Assembly polls, the SAD had forged an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in June this year. As per the seat-sharing arrangement, the Mayawati-led BSP will fight 20 of the 117 Assembly seats in Punjab while the rest will be contested by the SAD. Among the seats which the BSP will contest are Kartarpur Sahib in Jalandhar, Jalandhar-West, Jalandhar-North, Phagwara, Hoshiarpur Urban, Dasuya, Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar district, Bassi Pathana, Sujanpur in Pathankot, Mohali, Amritsar North, and Amritsar Central. The SAD earlier had a tie-up with the BJP and the Badal-led party walked out of the NDA over the farm laws issue last year. The BJP used to contest 23 seats under its alliance with the SAD.

The election to the 117-member Punjab assembly is due early next year. The state election schedule is yet to be announced by the Election Commission of India.

(With ANI Inputs)