CHANDIGARH, May 10:
Senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar today formally took over as the president of the Punjab Congress here, vowing to ensure fulfilment of all party promises in a healthy political environment.
Addressing mediapersons here soon after taking over as the PPCC chief, Jakhar said the Congress would never indulge in vendetta politics as has been repeatedly asserted by Chief Minister Amarindar Singh.
He said there was no vendetta politics by party workers against the Akalis and termed as apolitical some recent reported clashes between the workers of the two parties.
Jakhar said the party’s workers and foot soldiers would act as ambassadors of the government and disseminate its messages and programmes among people.
His biggest challenge, he said in response to a query, was to ensure that all party promises to the people were fulfilled, for which the chief minister had assured full cooperation of his government.
Jakhar said he would ensure that the Punjab Congress builds a two-way communication between the government and the people in the state.
He listed effective governance as the top priority of the party and said all efforts would be made to ensure efficient delivery of services to the common man.
Besides the chief minister, several of his cabinet colleagues and senior leaders of All India Congress Committee (AICC) and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) attended the ceremony at the party’s state unit headquarters here.
AICC leaders Harish Chaudhary, Asha Kumari and Ambika Soni were joined by state ministers and party leaders Manpreet Badal, Navjot Sidhu, Raja Warring, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Lal Singh, among others, to congratulate Jakhar.
On the SYL controversy, Jakhar said it was also the responsibility of the central government to resolve the issue and thanked the prime minister for his intervention in the matter.
He said he had personally requested former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to take an all-party delegation to meet the prime minister on the issue but it was rejected.
He expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved through consensus, for which the prime minister had already initiated measures.
On the low cleanliness ranking for his constituency, Abohar, in a government survey, Jakhar said he would ensure the formulation of a comprehensive policy to make cities of Punjab the cleanest.
His priority was to ensure basic amenities throughout the state, he added.
Jakhar also issued a stern warning to officers in the state government to fall in line or face action, saying Singh was giving them time to pull up their sleeves and follow the policies of the new government which were in the interest of the state and its people.
To a query about sand shortage in the state, Jakhar said sand will be made available at an affordable price with the implementation of the new mining policy. It will bring about transparency in the business leading to an increase in revenue for the Government.
In response to another question, Jakhar said, “The real face of the Aam Aadmi Party has been exposed and the people are feeling cheated.” (PTI)
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