 "Manmohan Singh (C) releases Congress manifesto for Punjab")
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday released the Congress manifesto for the February 4 assembly elections in Punjab.
"Punjab is a state with tremendous unexploited potential. This potential has not been exploited because of mismanagement," Singh said during a press conference in New Delhi.
"Earlier also, Punjab was a victim of terrorism. It has inflicted a great deal of damage on the economy and polity of Punjab," Singh added.
The manifesto promises a stipend of Rs 2,500 for unemployed youth in the northern state.
The former prime minister called the manifesto a "forward-looking visionary document".
"The manifesto promises the people that we will undo the damage done to the Punjab economy by the state government in the last ten years," Singh said, adding, "It points to tremendous potential of the state in terms of agriculture, manufacturing, services, infrastructure, social services, in all these areas the present set up has not been able to make adequate use of the potential that exists in Punjab.
Calling Captain Amarinder Singh a leader "with great vision", Singh said his leadership is the need of the hour.
"I believe that Punjab is in for better times under the leadership of Amarinder Singh. The fiscal situation in Punjab under the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) government has been mismanaged in a manner which is unprecedented," the former prime minister said.
Speaking on the occasion, Amarinder Singh said if Congress comes to power then they will "attack" the menace of drugs.
"Drugs is the first thing we will attack and in four weeks we will end this drug menace in Punjab," the Congress chief ministerial candidate said.
"The manifesto has taken six months. The team led by Rajinder Kaur Bhattal visited places across the state," Amarinder Singh added.
