Terming that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was, is and would ever remain committed for the cause of the farmers’, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that the state government would lift every single grain of Paddy in a smooth and hassle free manner, during the ongoing marketing season.Addressing a mammoth gathering during a religious congregation to mark the Gurta Gaddi Diwas of Sri Guru Angad Dev ji here today, the Chief Minister said that only and only SAD was worried about the interests of the farmers and every effort had been made to safeguard them at any cost. He categorically said that any SAD worker could happily sacrifice every single drop of blood in him to protect even a single drop of sweat of farmer in the state. Mr. Badal said that the state government had made elaborate arrangements to ensure that the harvest of farmers was lifted from the grain markets in a smooth and hassle free manner adding that farmer would not be allowed to face any sort of problem while selling their produce.
The Chief Minister further said that it was on record that whenever the farmers of the state had faced any sort of problem the SAD-BJP alliance government has always came to their rescue. Citing the examples, he said that during the last more than eight years the state government has provided free power to farmers worth Rs 28000 crore otherwise their problems would have accentuated manifolds on account of tube well bills. Likewise, he said that the state government took every step to resolve the impending sugarcane crisis by ensuring the payment of arrears to the farmers from private and cooperative sugar mills. Mr. Badal said that even now the state government has issued funds to the tune of Rs 644 crore to compensate the farmers who have suffered huge loss due to pest attack on Cotton crop in Malwa region.
Lashing out at the Congress party for the plight of Farmer's across the country, the Chief Minister said that the successive Congress governments at the centre had broken the backbone of the peasantry. Mr. Badal said that due to the regressive policies of these governments the farmers were reeling under a whopping debt of Rs 32000 crore. However, he said that after breaking the backbone of the farmers the Congress leaders were now shedding crocodile tears on agrarian crisis for their vested political interests.Taking the Congress party to cudgels, the Chief Minister said that the Punjabis in general and Sikh community in particular could never forgive the Congress party for its sins against Punjab. Mr. Badal said that how could the Sikh community forget sins of Congress like Operation Blue Star and 1984 anti-Sikh carnage, which have inflicted deep wounds on the Sikh psyche. He further bemoaned that the Congress governments at the centre had deliberately denied the state of Punjabi speaking areas, its capital Chandigarh and even its legitimate share in river waters.The Chief Minister said that though one year’s period was very less to evaluate the performance of any government but then also Punjab had been immensely benefitted from the NDA’s rule at centre. He said that within a year of the formation of the NDA government at centre the state has got key projects like AIIMS, IIM, Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research and HRIDAY status for holy city of Amritsar, which would ensure massive inflow of funds for development of the holy city.
Later on interacting with the media persons, the Chief Minister said that the infighting amongst the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders in the state has exposed the face of this party. He said that the party had no concrete program or ideology adding that they were misleading the people with hollow slogans.
The Chief Minister further said that he would be holding series of meetings with the MLA of every assembly segment from tomorrow to finalize the roadmap for holistic development of the state. He said that a major scheme to ensure comprehensive development of rural and urban areas was on cards.
Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that anyone found guilty of supplying spurious pesticides to the cotton cultivators in the state would not be spared at any cost. Mr. Badal said that he had already asked the Special Secretary Agriculture to submit a detailed report on this contentious matter by September 30. Likewise, the Chief Minister said that he had already ordered an enquiry to fix the responsibility of the erring officials and dealers involved in the sale of spurious pesticides by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Police comprising three Inspector Generals of Police (IGPs) under the direct supervision of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Crime.
Earlier addressing the gathering Cabinet Minister Mr Bikram Singh Majithia slammed the Congress party for ignoring the interests of the countrymen during their nearly 48 years long rule. He said that the country was still facing a number of social maladies due to misrule of Congress party especially Gandhi family. On the other hand Mr. Majithia said that Punjab had scripted new success story under the able and far sighted leadership of Chief Minister who was serving the state zealously from last more than 60 years. He said that due to concerted efforts of Chief Minister Punjab was today the only power surplus state in the country adding that right from supplying free power to solving major crisis of farmers the state government has always extended a helping hand to the farmers.
Assailing the Congress party and AAP for shedding crocodile tears over agrarian issues, the Minister said that these parties were trying to get political mileage over the plight of farmers. He said that while the top brass of Congress in the state was shamelessly squabbling for power of party, on the other hand AAP had drifted away from its basic ideology. Mr. Majithia said that it was on record that Delhi was having the highest tax structure in the country due to which people were reeling under burden of AAP’s misrule.The Minister expressed hope that the NDA government at centre would soon implement the recommendations of Swaminathan Commission to bail out farmers from the crisis. He said that as the ex-servicemen have been given their due by implementing one Rank One Pension scheme in the same manner the interests of Farmer's would also be secured by implementing the recommendations of renowed agri-scientist.
In his address Lok Sabha MP Jathedar Ranjit Singh Brahmpura lauded the Chief Minister for taking historic initiatives for safeguarding the interests of the farmers of the state. Recalling the long history of SAD in fighting for the interests of the state, Jathedar Brahmpura said that only this party could secure the interests of Punjab and Punjabis. He exhorted the people to not get swayed away with hollow slogans of other party and strengthen SAD by supporting it.
Prominent amongst other who were present on the occasion included Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prof Virsa Singh Valtoha, MLA Mr Manjit Singh Mianwind, Chairman District Planning Committee Tarn Taran Mr Ravinder Singh Brahmpura, Chairman District Planning Committee Amritsar Mr Veer Singh Lopoke, President Shiromani Akali Dal Tarn Taran Mr Arvinderpal Singh Pakhoke, Inspector General of Police Mr Lok Nath Angra, Deputy Inspector General of Police Kunwar Vijay Partap and Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Dr S Karunaraju.