AAP promises to revive industry in Punjab

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday released a 21-point manifesto to revive trade and industry in Punjab.

“It’s not our poll manifesto, but an agreement of the AAP with the people of Punjab that the party will fulfil promises made to them in the poll document,” Mr Kejriwal told a gathering of traders while releasing the document.

“The manifesto was prepared after extensive dialogue with the business community, whose suggestions were incorporated in the document,” Mr Kejriwal said. He said other parties don’t have a trade manifesto as they were “visionless” on the revival of industry — the backbone of Punjab’s development.

“When several industrial units are moving out of Punjab, it is a challenge for us to bring the youth out of drugs and give them employment for rehabilitation,” Mr Kejriwal said, adding a healthy industry will help the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government give jobs to rehabilitated youth.

He said the AAP government in Delhi has made two annual budget, under which it voluntarily reduced VAT on many items from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent.

He said Delhi traders were surprised at such a massive reduction in VAT.

“In Delhi, after inspector raj and raid raj were abolished, the AAP government won the confidence of traders, which led to increase in revenue generation despite lower VAT rate,” Mr Kejriwal said.

He said the National Democratic Alliance government has been harassing people with the so-called “income tax raids”. “If (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi-ji was serious on tackling the menace of black money, he should have raided the businesses of the Adanis and Ambanis, from whom the (tax) department would have completed their target of collection,” the Delhi chief minister said.

Mukesh Ambani is chairperson of Reliance Industries, while Anil Ambani is chairperson of Reliance Group, and Gautam Adani chairperson of Adani Group.