Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
* Asks for compensation to the farmers
Chandigarh,The Punjab Congress President Mr Partap Singh Bajwa today demanded immediate resignation of the Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal and the Jails Minister Mr Sohan Singh Thandal over increasing lawlessness in the state as well as jails. He expressed the apprehension of the jails having been converted into training centres by the ruling Akali Dal to train musclemen to create terror during 2017 Assembly elections. He also called for immediate relief to the farmers for crop damage.
Addressing a news conference here, he specifically referred to four incidents to back up his demand for resignations that included murderous attack on Shiv Sena leader Harvinder Soni in Gurdaspur, firing outside a college in Batala, firing in Bathinda jail and programme by a women dance troupe in Patti jail yesterday.
He said not only a section of society in Punjab was being particularly targeted; the broader design of the Akali Dal was to use these musclemen to win the 2017 Assembly elections by creating terror. He also expressed the apprehension that some political leaders might be on the hit list of these anti-social elements in the run up to the next Assembly elections. He referred to the reports about the VIP facilities that these anti-social elements had been provided in jails which, he pointed out, was not possible without the political patronage from the top.
He expressed serious concern over the deepening agrarian crisis and the sad plight of the farmers with the situation having turned more problematic due to continuing adverse weather conditions that had caused serious damage to the crops in general and wheat in particular.
He demanded Rs. 25,000 per acre compensation for complete loss and Rs. 15,000 per acre for partial loss along with bonus on wheat at the rate of Rs 200 per quintal. He argued this was the minimum to mitigate the sufferings of the farmers. He also demanded compensation for the potato and sugarcane farmers who too had been hit hard.
He said about 20,000 farmers from the state would join the all “VISHAL KISAN KHET MAJDOOR RALLY”in the national capital tomorrow being organised in protest against the amendments to the land acquisition legislation by the NDA government which were anti-farmer. The state Congress would put up a united show on the farmers issue. He said 300 buses and about 1000 cars would head for Delhi for this purpose from Punjab. He lambasted the Akali Dal for supporting the amendments to the land bill in the Lok Sabha that exposed the anti-farmer face of this party which had been claiming itself to be the champion of the farmers.
