Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Sri Hargobindpur- The Sikh Youth of Punjab (SYP) today held a youth conference on the socio-economic agenda. The occasion was 9th foundation day of the youth body.
The focus of the conference was on Agriculture crisis including farmers’ suicide, unemployment, education and other economic issues.
Addressing the youth activists assembled from across the state, Dal Khalsa general secretary Paramjit Singh Tanda said Punjab’s economy can get a boost if free trade agreement is entered into with Pakistan. That would provide big market at least to the farm sector creating more jobs in the process.
He asserted that the opening of the Wagah border for trade purposes would not only encourage trade, but result in increasing cultural co-operation between the countries. Elaborating upon his contention, he said at present the trade was being carried out via Mumbai and Gujarat ports. Opening of the Wagah border would help Punjab farmer to sell their produce in Iran, Iraq and Arab countries.
Other speakers were Mandhir Singh, Dr Gurpreet Singh, Paramjit Singh Gazi.
Referring to issues concerning the farm sector that are Punjab specific, SYP head Paramjit Singh Mand said the model of farm mechanisation needs to change. The initiative, however, has to come from the government. Loan waiver is only a temporary relief. He said the liberal loans advanced by the banks to purchase tractors did not help the farmers but the tractor industry.
He said Punjab economy has not been generating employment of the type which could attract its youth. It is the outsiders who come to work in factories. Complexion of Punjab cities has changed. Locals are going abroad to earn bread and butter.
He said the role of the government is that of the facilitator. The state government should promulgate an Act, which fixes the upper limit of the percentage of jobs for non-Punjabis Residents in all enterprises in the state whether private or public sector. Under no circumstances should this exceed thirty percent. This is one way the government could facilitate creation of new employment venues.
Paramjit Singh Gazi dwells upon the role of the mainstream media in the present times.
Speakers were of the view that the suicides are the result of the deepening farm crisis and this phenomenon started around 1987-88. It is only during the last about 15 years that the crises has deepened.
They said like other sectors, General Service Tax (GST) has adversely affected already debt-ridden farmers, making it more difficult for them to buy fertilizers, pesticides at reasonable rates. Warehousing facilities for storing agricultural goods have been made costly under GST.
Idea of organic farming was discussed in the conference and was observed that it needs encouragement both at government and farmers level.
