Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh today asked the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to spell out the measures he has planned for procurement of paddy that will start arriving in the mandis form the next month, lest it meets the same fate as the wheat that remained in the mandis for weeks together.The former Chief Minister also criticised the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal saying, he was more interested and involved in his private business than governance.“Sukhbir Badal is more interested in his personal business than the business of governance”, he said while addressing a well attended public rally organised by former MLA and halqa (constituency) in charge Ranjit Singh Chhajalwadi here today.Capt Amarinder said, with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) having decided not to purchase paddy in Punjab, the situation appeared to be very grim since the state government does not seem to be in a position to make payment to the farmers.He disclosed that the state government owes over Rs 1500 crores to the arthiyas (commission agents). With its coffers empty there appears to be no hope for the farmers in this paddy season.Lashing out at the Akalis for promoting and patronising the drug trafficking that has devastated a generation of youth, Capt Amarinder said that the results into the investigations, being jointly carried by the Punjab Police and other central agencies like the Revenue Intelligence and Narcotics Control Bureau, are likely to come out soon hoping that the guilty will be punished.
He pointed out, although they (the Akalis) desperately tried to hoodwink the investigations by trying to get the officers like Niranjan Singh transferred, they still could not do anything as his transfer was stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.Later talking to reporters, Capt Amarinder criticised the state government for the abnormally high power bills people have received. He said, he has been receiving complaints from people that they were getting inflated power bills. He said, the matter needs to be thoroughly looked into.Capt Amarinder condemned the racial attack on a Sikh in the United States. However, he added, it appeared to be a case of mistaken identity as the Sikhs are loved and respected as a community in the US and there was no question of anybody having any animosity or hostility towards them. At the same time, he added, any such racial assault or attack irrespective of who is the victim must be condemned.Earlier Ranjit Chhajalwadi welcomed Capt Amarinder and thanked him for keeping the promise to meet people of Baba Bakala constituency who were victimised by the Akalis.Among others present on the occasion included Ranjit Chhajalwadi, Sukh Sarkaria, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Joginder Panjgraian, Ramanjit Singh Sikki, Gurjit Aujla, Raman Behal, Darshan Brar, Harpartap Ajnala, Harjinder Thekedar, Tarsem DC, SS Kathunangal, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Sunil Datti, Dharamvir Agnihotri and others.