SAD chief Badal launches membership drive of party's youth wing

Ludhiana: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday launched a youth membership drive of the Youth Akali Dal -- the party's youth wing -- and said it aims to give appropriate electoral representation to youngsters at all levels.

Badal said the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to reward merit and declared a 50 cent reservation for youngsters on all posts.

According to a party statement, Badal said youngsters able to register 250 members with their recommendations will be appointed as youth delegates.

"These delegates will play a key role in the formation of the youth body, including district presidents, who will also be appointed if they register 2,000 members with their recommendations," he said.

The membership drive will be completed by December 31, Badal said and added that it will conducted in the state and among the diaspora population with youth bodies being formed in all countries having a substantial number of Punjabis.

Only those leaders who register 2,000 members with their recommendations will be considered for the post of district president, the SAD chief said.

The age limit for the district-level body is 35 years and that for the state level is 40 years, he added.

Youth leaders who prove their mettle in the organisation will be fielded by the party in elections to local bodies and committees and corporations. Thirty-five former 35 former Youth Akali Dal leaders have been appointed as 'halqa in-charge' in the SAD, the party chief said.

He also announced that youngsters will also be given a larger role in the Lok Sabha election campaign with three senior vice-presidents, three vice-presidents and three general secretaries being appointed for each seat.

Badal also spoke about how the erstwhile SAD-led government under then-chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had given employment to 2.5 lakh youngsters.

The SAD tenure also witnessed the establishment of 13 universities, 30 colleges and prestigious institutions such as IIT-Ropar, IIM-Amritsar and IISER-Mohali, Badal said.

He said two preparatory institutions were set up to train youngsters to become officers in the Armed Forces while a focus on sports by developing seven hockey and 21 multipurpose stadiums had brought a sporting culture in the state.