Manpreet critics remind him of unkept promises

BATHINDA : The closure of the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant has provided a reason for a rival faction within the local Congress unit to step up its campaign against state finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal.

During campaigning for the polls last year, Manpreet had promised that he would ensure that the plant would not close.

His detractors within the party are now raising other promises that remain unfulfilled.

Residents say that the promise to give ownership of shamlat (patti) land to people who have constructed houses has not been fulfilled. Taking up the demand, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee secretary, Iqbal Singh Dhillon, a close associate of former Bathinda (urban) MLA Harminder Singh Jassi submitted a memorandum to chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh through Bathinda deputy commissioner Diprava Lakra on the issue.

During last year’s assembly polls, Jassi was one of the aspirants for a Congress ticket from Bathinda (urban), a seat he represented as MLA from 2007- 2012. However, the party fielded Manpreet from here with Jassi contesting from Maur.

District Congress Committee (urban) president Mohan Lal Jhumba said that this was indeed a promise that Manpreet had made and that the finance minister was working towards making it a reality. “I have no knowledge of Jassi or any of his associates submitting a memorandum to the DC in this regard,” Jhumba claimed.

SEPARATE RAHUL ELEVATION CELEBRATIONS

This is not the first instance of factionalism among the local Congress unit.

In December, the camps of Manpreet and Jassi had held separate programmes to celebrate the elevation of Rahul Gandhi to the post of the Congress president. Then too, Jassi had raised the issue of the revival of the plant.

MANPREET HAD PROMISED THAT HE WOULD ENSURE THAT THE PLANT DOES NOT CLOSE DOWN