Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, May 30: The Punjab Congress has warned the Parkash Singh Badal government in the state against disconnection of electricity supply to water works and RO systems for non-payment of bills in a number of villages and has threatened agitation in case the connections were not restored immediately.
In a statement, the party MLA,s Mr. Lal Singh,Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa Sukh Sarkaria & Parminder Singh Pinky said, “On the one hand, the Parkash Singh Badal government continues to supply free supply to the farmers for farm operations. On the other hand, power to the water works which supply potable water to the entire village are being disconnected due to non-payment of bills. This reflects duality and contradictions in the functioning of the Badal government. The government is ignoring the basic fact that the water works and the RO systems cater to even the poorest of the poor in the rural society. Moreover, access to potable water is the right of the people”, he said.
They pointed out that the free power to the farm sector cost the state government more than Rs 5000 crore per annum and this bill was going up every year. On the other hand, the total amount for which power had been disconnected to the water works all over the state would not be even a few hundred crore.
They said it seemed the government wanted the people to drink water that is unfit for drinking or purchase costly bottled water which was not within the reach of the common man. He expressed the apprehension that the corporate sector in the country was taking over even the drinking water sources forcing the people to pay heavily and the governments were becoming partners in this mega scam, he added.
The congress MLA,s said this agitation would be taken to every constituency in the state as the same situation prevailed everywhere, especially in the Assembly seats won by the Congress. He made it clear the people would not be allowed to suffer due to this criminal and wilful negligence on the part of the government which had no concern for the common man.
