AMRITSAR, Apr 11: Congress nominee from Amritsar and former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today accused BJP and SAD of spreading misinformation about the ‘One Rank, One Pension’ scheme, and urged the ex-servicemen not to get misled by their “false propaganda”.
During a meeting with office-bearers of the Indian Ex-Services League here, Amarinder said the notification for the ‘One Rank, One Pension’ scheme had already been issued, and its copies were available at the League’s offices across Punjab.
He said the Defence Ministry had issued directions to the Central Defence Accounts department in this regard, and claimed that he was in possession of a copy of the letter.
Amarinder said the ex-servicemen would start getting benefit of the scheme within a month or so.
He alleged that the opposition parties were spreading misinformation about it as they could not accept the fact that the Congress-led UPA government had implemented the scheme.
Meanwhile, addressing a series of election meetings in Attari and Raja Sansi Assembly segments of his constituency, Amarinder alleged the ruling Badal family and state minister Bikram Singh Majithia were “patronising” drug rackets in the state and the youths were falling victim to their trade.
He also expressed concern about the spread of drug trade in the state, particularly in the border belt.
“An entire generation has been ruined… Most of Punjabi youths are now being rejected by the army as they are not found to be physically fit due to drug addiction,” he said.
“I understand your (Badals’) greed for robbing the state by grabbing mining, liquor, transport or cable trade but at least spare our youths and don’t indulge in drug trade and trafficking,” he said at a rally.
The former Chief Minister said while international drug trafficking was a serious problem, the home-made synthetic drugs being produced in Punjab were dangerously devastating.
“It is destroying an entire generation,” he said, and regretted that despite having “grabbed” so much of wealth the ruling family was indulging in promotion of drugs to get richer.
“I wonder what they are going to do with all this money they are making at the cost of an entire generation of youths,” he said.
Later, during an informal interaction with reporters, Amarinder clarified that he had not defended Majithia’s role in the drug smuggling case but had only opposed the transfer of the case to CBI as it could have delayed the matter.
“See I stand vindicated as Majithia has been exposed in the investigation,” he said, pointing out that Majithia had been named in the charge-sheet presented in the case of arrested drug peddler Jagdish Singh Bhola.
“Had the case been transferred to the CBI it would have definitely been delayed,” he added. (PTI)
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