Terming that the meager hike in Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy was too inadequate to bail out farmers from agrarian crisis, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Government of India (GoI) to constitute an expert group to make agriculture a remunerative preposition. Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan program at Rajasansi assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that the farmers of the country were facing an acute crisis and the GoI was duty-bound to bail out the food growers of nation from it. He said that farmer of Punjab needs special attention because in contrast with their peers across the country they treat their crop as their own child and pump in their all resources to nurture them. Mr. Badal said that the expert group must suggest ways and means to ensure that farming was made a profitable venture. Strongly pleading for implementation of recommendations of renowned farm economist Dr MS Swaminathan, the Chief Minister said that it could immensely benefit the farmers of the country. Mr. Badal said that he had already requested the GoI for early implementation of these recommendations adding that he would again flag up this issue with them.
Terming the proposed agitations of Congress as a political gimmick, the Chief Minister said that the state government was already probing the issues raised by Congress leadership. He said it was unethical to name anyone as culprit until the enquiry report was submitted. Urging the people to exercise restraint and observe anniversary of operation Blue Star on June 6 peacefully, the Chief Minister said that state government was committed to maintain peace, communal harmony and brotherhood in the state. He said that the state government was keeping a strict vigil over the entire situation and every effort would be made to maintain law and order in the state. “No one will be allowed to disturb the hard earned peace in the state at any cost”, he added.
Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that the state Police was already probing the attack on Sikh preacher Sant Ranjit Sikh Dhadriawala for which a SIT has already been constituted. He said that there was no need for probe by any other agency as state Police was fully competent to deal with any such situation.
Exhorting the people to be prepared for struggle to save the waters of the state during his address in village Padheri, Shahura and Bacchiwind, the Chief Minister said Congress and AAP were inimical to the interests of the state and were hell bent upon depriving the state from its water. He said that every Punjabi would have to act as a 'watchdog' to save every single drop of water as if AAP and Congress succeed in their nefarious designs then no one could save Punjab from becoming a desert. Mr. Badal reminded the people that while Congress had signed various water agreements to deprive state of its waters, the AAP was now trying its level best to ensure that these agreements were implemented at the earliest.The Chief Minister said that as Mr. Arvind Kejriwal hailed from Haryana so he was naturally inclined towards safeguarding the interests of his state. He said that Mr. Kejriwal has no affection with Punjab or its people and his sole intention was to wrest political power in the state to benefit Haryana. Apprising the people about the affidavit submitted by AAP government in Delhi on SYL issue, the Chief Minister said that Delhi government has said that the stand of Punjab government on this issue would disintegrate the country.
Taking the Congress party to cudgels, the Chief Minister said that the Punjabis could never forgive the Congress party for its sins against Punjab, the Chief Minister said that Congress has irrelevantly meddled in the social, political, economic and even religious affairs of the state. 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. “How can any true Punjabi forget and forgive Operation Blue Star and the killing of innocents in 1984 anti-Sikh carnage” questioned Mr. Badal.
Listing the major initiatives taken by the state government, the Chief Minister said that due to concerted efforts of alliance government, Punjab was the today only power surplus state in the country. He further said that the alliance government has decided to double the pensions given to people under the social security schemes besides hiking the honorarium of the Nambardars.
Mr. Badal said that the state government has started first of its kind scheme to provide interest free crop loans worth Rs 50000 to the farmers. He further said that in another historic decision it has been decided that all the farmers would be provided a health insurance cover of Rs.50,000 and an insurance of Rs.5 lac in case of accidental death or incapacitation of head of family.The Chief Minister was accompanied by Chairman District Planning Committee Amritsar Mr. Veer Singh Lopoke, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Dr S Karunaraju, Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr. Kunwar Vijay Partap, Deputy Commissioner Mr. Varun Roozam and Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. Jasdeep Singh.