Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana Lok Sabha nominee Amarinder Singh Raja Warring unveiled his vision document “Drive It” on Saturday. Warring committed to restoring Buddha Dariya to its former glory through the expedited execution of a ₹650-crore project sanctioned by the Congress government. Warring talked about introduction of helicopter services to nearby business, religious and tourist destinations.

While former MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains, who was recently inducted into the grand old party, gave a miss to the event, his brother former MLA Balwinder Singh Bains was present.

Warring said that a research fund will be established for sustainable development measures, focusing on air and water quality, traffic management, peripheral village development and improving the standard of living in the city.

“A special package from the Union government’s industry and commerce department will be provided to create industrial clusters and foster industrial growth. A state-of-the-art exhibition centre will be constructed. I have plans to hold discussions with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to increase grants for farmers and facilitate land acquisition for various projects. The completion of the ring road project is a priority to decongest the city and establish Ludhiana as a logistics hub. A tree plantation initiative will see the planting of 1 lakh local variety trees annually along highways, in forest areas and on department lands to enhance green cover. I will advocate with the jal shakti department to provide surface water via canals to local industries, conserving groundwater resources,”said Warring

“Subsidies for electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) autos will promote environment-friendly transportation and boost the incomes of approximately 5,000 families. An electric vehicle charging network will be established with industry support and government aid. The goal is to achieve 100% solarisation of all government buildings and at least 50% solarisation of commercial and private buildings within five years,” he added.

Promises press club

He promised a press club dedicated to the media fraternity of Ludhiana. He said that the Dhandhari Kalan, Mullanpur and Jagraon railway stations will be renovated as well. The multi-purpose indoor sports stadium will be renovated with state-of-the-art facilities and renamed as Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Indoor Stadium, the document says. A Sahir Ludhianvi Memorial Centre featuring an amphitheatre, library, visual arts gallery and accommodation will be established, it adds.

He promised grants for key projects in villages, including pond construction, libraries, LED lights and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. The document claims that the upcoming international airport at Halwara will ensure direct flights to major national and international business centres.

Former cabinet ministers Brahm Mohindra, Malkit Singh Dakha, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Rakesh Pandey, general secretary Capt Sandeep Sandhu, former MLA Surinder Kumar Dawar, Jassi Khangura, district Congress president Sanjay Talwar and district president (rural) Major Singh Mullanpur were also present at the event.