Challenge to implement Sidhu’s ‘Punjab-model’ in front of Channi: Channi-Sidhu have only 3 and a half months to complete the 18-point agenda, it is not easy to cancel the power agreement and send drug dealers to jail

The Punjab model and 18-point agenda that Navjot Sidhu’s camp has been talking about to surround the former CM Capt. Channi, who has become the Chief Minister, will now face the challenge of implementing it. The Sidhu camp has only about three and a half months to prove himself through Channi. Assembly elections are proposed in Punjab in February 2022 and the model code of conduct comes into force a month and a half before. That is, Sidhu Camp has only time till December 2021.

The Punjab model through which Navjot Sidhu has been claiming to bring this border state back on its feet, has many issues which are not easy to implement. The most important in this is to eliminate the mining mafia and make a government corporation on the lines of Telangana-Tamil Nadu and sell sand in the market. Sidhu has been claiming that doing just this can end the entire economic crisis of Punjab.

Apart from this, making the state drug-free in the Punjab model of Sidhu, making electricity cheaper by canceling the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with private companies during Badal Sarkar’s tenure, curbing the liquor mafia, providing door-to-door employment and agitating people of the state. Including meeting the demands of the employees.

Sidhu has also been raising the issue of repeal of all three new farming laws and guarantee of minimum support price to farmers at the level of Punjab government. While making Navjot Singh Sidhu the President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, the party high command had also given an 18-point special program to Captain Amarinder Singh. How many of these issues will be resolved? The account of this will definitely be sought from the Captain’s camp Channi government. Opposition parties will also keep an eye on this.

1. Strict action on drug smugglers, will Majithia take action
Drug addiction has been a big issue in Punjab. The Congress had raised the issue vigorously during the 2017 assembly election campaign. Navjot Singh Sidhu and Deputy CM Sukhjinder Randhawa have been demanding that former cabinet minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia be put in jail by directly blaming former cabinet minister for drugs especially chitta in Punjab. The Sidhu camp has been accusing Captain Amarinder Singh of deliberately not giving orders to take strict action against Majithia. Now it has to be seen how the trio of Sidhu, Channi and Randhawa makes Punjab a drug-free state? How and how much action is taken against drug smugglers and Majithia?

2. To make electricity cheaper by canceling agreements with private companies
Power purchase agreements (PPAs) were signed with private companies during the previous Akali-BJP government in Punjab. Under this, companies set up new thermal plants at Talwandi Sabo, Rajpura and Goindwal Sahib. The state government buys the power of these plants. Sidhu has been alleging that due to these PPAs Punjab is being forced to buy expensive power and this PPA should be canceled immediately to save the exchequer from this burden. Then as CM Captain had raised the question that if the PPAs are cancelled, then from where will Punjab get the 14 thousand MW power it needs? However, after the power crisis in the last paddy season, the Captain has given orders to Powercom to review these agreements.

3. Filling the treasury of Punjab by eliminating the mining mafia
Navjot Singh Sidhu and his camp have been vigorously raising the point that the Punjab government neither has any policy to stop illegal sand mining nor does the government want to make any such policy. In 2017, as soon as he became a minister in the Captain’s cabinet, Sidhu himself went there to understand the model of Telangana and Tamil Nadu and after that also put his report before the government, but the Captain did not approve it. Sidhu has been saying that if sand is mined by forming a government corporation in Punjab and it is sold in the market, then Punjab can get so much revenue that all its financial constraints will end. After the departure of Captain Amarinder Singh, what is Sidhu able to get the new government to do on his ambitious move? It will be interesting to see.

4. Eliminate Transport Mafia
Akali leaders have been accused of running their own private buses by issuing permits on a large scale in their government. Sidhu has been accusing Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal of running buses illegally. Now Sidhu and Channi face the challenge of cracking down on the transport mafia by canceling the wrongly issued route permits. The important thing is that in Punjab, along with Akali leaders, many Congress leaders also run private buses.

5. To waive all loans of farmers
The Congress had promised to waive all loans of all farmers and laborers if it came to power before the 2017 assembly elections. The Captain government worked towards loan waiver, but many conditions were imposed in it. Result- In the tenure of 4 and a half years of the Congress government, only 5.64 lakh farmers’ loans worth Rs 4,623 crore could be waived off. Loans of only Rs 526 crore were also waived off of 2.68 lakh laborers. This issue is also included in the 18-point program of the Congress. What does the Channi government do on this now? That will be something to be seen.

6. To give farmers MSP on crops in Punjab
When Rahul Gandhi came to Moga protesting the new agricultural laws, during the rally there, Sidhu raised questions on Captain Amarinder Singh’s government from the stage itself. Sidhu had said that if the central government does not give the farmers minimum support price for their crops, then the Punjab government should give MSP at its level. Sidhu had also said that the state government should lead the farmers towards the crops which are needed by the people. In such a situation, now it has to be seen how Sidhu gets the new CM Channi and his government to arrange it?

7. Tackling the Liquor Mafia
Many cabinet ministers of Captain Sarkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu have been saying that liquor mafia is dominating in the state. Illegal liquor is being sold everywhere. Liquor is being extracted and sold from house to house by setting up fake factories. Due to this the treasury of Punjab is being wasted. The Congress High Command had asked Captain Amarinder Singh to work on the issue. Now it has to be seen how the pair of Sidhu and Channi deal with the liquor mafia.

Governor BL Purohit, Rahul Gandhi, Harish Rawat and Navjot Sidhu congratulating Charanjit Channi after the swearing-in ceremony.

8. Fulfilling the promise of door-to-door employment
Congress came to power in the 2017 assembly elections by promising door-to-door employment. Captain Amarinder Singh and his government have been accused of not fulfilling this promise. This issue was included in the 18-point program given to the Captain, who arrived in Delhi on the call of Sonia Gandhi in July-2021. Sidhu has also been questioning the Captain government regarding this. Now Channi has to find a way to fulfill this promise.

9. Meeting the demands of the striking workers
At present, teachers, ASHA workers, ANMs, contract employees, roadside and PUNBUS employees and employees of DC office are agitating for their demands in Punjab. The number of these employees is more than one lakh. Sidhu has been saying that the Captain government should fulfill the demands of the striking employees. Now it has to be seen whether he can get his demands fulfilled by Channi or not?