By Punjabnewswire4u
SANGRUR, AUGUST 5
Squarely blaming the Congress for the crisis faced by the Punjabi farmers in
Gujarat, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that
despite of the fact that the then Congress government had issued a circular
regarding it way back in 1973, its leaders were now shamelessly shedding
‘crocodile tears’ on the issue.
Talking to the media persons here after administering oath to the newly elected
Sarpanchs and Panchs of Sangrur district there today, the Chief Minister
categorically said that ever since the inception Congress have always remained
anti-farmers in general and anti-Punjab in particular. He said that in 1973 a
Congress government of Gujarat had issued a circular that if any agriculturist
from outside Gujarat purchases agricultural land in that state, he was declared
a non-agriculturist. Mr. Badal said that the decision to freeze agricultural
lands of Punjabi farmers was totally based on this circular issued by the
Congress government but ironically instead of making any effort to save the
farmers of Gujarat, the Congress leadership was making hoarse cry over this
matter.
The Chief Minister said that it was on record that only Congress could formulate
such anti-farmers laws whereas the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has always fought
vehemently for safeguarding the interests of the farmers. Citing the example of
Wealth Tax, he said that owing to the crusade of SAD against this barbaric tax
imposed by the Congress led UPA government; the Centre was forced to roll it
back. Mr. Badal in the context of Gujarat farmers also the SAD would fight the
political and legal for preserving the interest of Punjabi farmers of Gujarat
from the forefront.
Earlier
addressing the mammoth gathering during the function, the Chief Minister
slammed the Congress led UPA government for ruing the farmers of the state. He
said that the Punjabi farmers through their sheer hard work had played a
vanguard role in making the country self reliant in food production but the
wrong policies of the centre government have now brought them on
crossroads. Mr. Badal said that due to massive hike in agriculture inputs
and lack of remunerative MSP, farming was no longer a profitable venture.
The
Chief Minister said that though the framers of the state had over exploited
their precious resources to feed the nation but the Union government has made
them difficult to survive. He said that as now the centre has dragged its feet
from purchasing the paddy in future so diversification was the need of the
hour. However Mr. Badal said that instead of bailing the farmers out of this
mess by crop diversification through a package of Rs 5100 crore as demanded by
the state government, the Union government has allocated a minuscule amount of
Rs 200 crore, which was a cruel joke with the Punjabi farmers. He said that
though on its part the state government was encouraging the farmers to adopt
crop diversification but by denying the MSP to Maize and Price support
mechanism to Basmati, the Union government was scuttling the efforts of Punjab
government.
The Chief Minister further said that the state government was laying special
thrust on ensuring clean and green Punjab especially in the rural areas for
which a major program has been embarked at cost of Rs 400 crore for cleaning of
Ponds in the villages. Likewise he said that keeping in view the health and
hygiene of people in the rural areas the state government was mulling to shift the
sites of dumping the garbage and cow dung from the interior of the villages to
specially earmarked vacant Panchayst lands. Mr. Badal said that the decision to
this would be taken soon in the upcoming meeting of the Cabinet schedule to
take place this week.
The
Chief Minister said that in order to provide 70 litres potable drinking waste
to every resident of village per day the Government has also initiated a major
project under which RO systems were being installed in the villages. Likewise
he said that efforts were afoot to provide basic civic amenities to the
villages at par with the urban areas. Mr. Badal reiterated that the state
government was committed to check the trend of migration of population from the
villages to cities.
The Chief
Minister also said that special thrust was being laid by the state government
to impart world class education to the meritorious rural students. He said that
six special schools were being opened across the state at the cost of Rs 150
crore to provide world class education to the bright rural students after
matriculation. Likewise Mr. Badal said that the all the students studying in
government schools but securing more than 80% marks in matriculation would also
be entitled for Dr Hargobind Khurana post matric scholarship scheme under which
Rs 30000 per annum would be given to them by the state government.
Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Rajya Sabha MP Mr.
Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Cabinet Ministers Mr. Surjit Singh Rakhra, Chief
Parliamentary Secretary Babu Parkash Chand Garg, Sant Balbir Singh Ghunas and
Mrs. Farzana Aalam and Chairman Punjab Waqf Board Mr. Mohammed Izhar
Aalam.
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