SSM members rejoice after being alloted party symbol on Friday. (Express photo by Gurmeet Singh) Gurnam Singh Chaduni’s party, Sanyukt Sangrash Party (SSP), on Friday, released its election manifesto for the upcoming Assembly polls, in which it promised to legalise poppy husk farming in the state if voted to power. The SSP, in alliance with Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), will be contesting from ten seats in Punjab. While SSM’s registration as a political party will take place next month, the SSP was registered as a party on January 16 and was allotted cup and saucer as its poll symbol.
Gurnam Singh Chaduni, who is also the president of farmers’ body Bharatiya Kisan Union (Haryana), has touched upon the issue of legalising poppy husk farming previously too and has now put it in the poll manifesto of his party under the agriculture section. The SSP’s manifesto mentions that if they are voted to power, every farmer will be allowed to do poppy husk farming on one acre of land in a legal way which can help them in increasing their income. Poppy husk is considered as a narcotic in the state at present and its farming is punishable under the NDPS Act of Punjab.
“A Punjab Kisan Aayog will be formed and cooperative farming will be started if our party, in alliance with SSM, forms the next government in Punjab. MSP will be implemented on every crop and differential price, if any, will be paid for by the government. A compensation of Rs 75000 per acre will be given to farmers in case of crop damage and even government companies will be doing crop loan insurance Payment of sugarcane crop will be done within 14 days to farmers and sugar mills will be directed to pay interest in case of delayed payments to farmers. Ours is a farmers’ party and we will enhance the agriculture budget and focus on rainwater harvesting too.”
Another interesting highlight of SSP’s manifesto was to open government offices on all seven days, which will increase employment opportunities. The manifesto reads, “Employees will get off days as usual but on a rotational basis. Hence, the public’s work will be done on all seven days. Around 20% more staff will be hired which will result in more jobs creation. We will also end the contract system.”
Ironically, though the SSP wants to legalise poppy husk farming, it also said that it will aim to put an end to synthetic drugs, besides improving the health infrastructure in the state.
“There will be 20 years of jail time for people found guilty of sacrilege. The law will be strict in beadbi cases,” said Chaduni . He added that the kisan government will aim at putting an end to the mafia raj and mining will be taken under the government’s wings. The Lokpal will be strengthened and one MLA one pension scheme will be implemented. The SSP also mentioned the promotion of trade and industry in the state and focus on ways to end harassment of rehri wallahs at the hands of the police.
Poll symbols of SSM
Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) candidates will be contesting as Independents on 104 seats in Punjab. In the remaining seats, 75 SSM candidates will contest under the cot as its symbol, while the remaining will fight the elections under the symbol of a pitcher. The SSM had been approved by the ECI on the last day of filing nomination papers, Tuesday, but it will be registered after a month only. “All the candidates had filled the same three preferences in their nomination papers and nearly 75% of them got cot as a poll symbol while the rest got matka (pitcher), the next preferred poll symbol,” said Prem Singh Bhangu, screening committee member of SSM.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
