A feast of promises

 

 

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal are busy inaugurating development projects in Punjab. Besides, they are making promises to win the voters’ confidence.

Political analysts say the Badals are doing all this with an eye on the coming Assembly elections in February 2012. Last week, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal laid the foundation stones of many development projects in Mohali district’s tehsil Derabassi. On that day, he also laid down the foundation stone of a grain market, which will be constructed on 10 acres at the cost of Rs 4.32 crore. Also, he announced a Rs 121.50 crore project for Banur Assembly constituency. Addressing the gathering, he said that in the coming three years, Punjab will be able to sell electricity to other states.

He said: “In the last three years of my term, the state has witnessed huge development.” The Badals also laid foundation stones of many development projects in the industrial hub of the state: Ludhiana and Anandpur Sahib city.

The CM assured the people that the government has facilitated Rs 350 crore for building infrastructure in schools and hospitals. “We will complete all work before 2012," he commented.

Sukhbir Singh Badal is also taking a lot of interest in such projects. Recently, he laid the foundation stone of a six-lane road from Mohali to Chandigarh Airport. However, it's clear that though laying foundation stones might get the Badal duo brownie points and media publicity for the short-term, for a clear cut vote advantage in the Assembly Elections, they should focus more on what they have achieved till date for the state.

Now, the question is, what have they?