Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh: The Congress Legislature Party chief Mr Charanjit Singh Channi today squarely held the Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal for the misery of the farmers with their plight worsening due to the undue delay in the release of payment in the mandis to them as the government had failed to get remaining amount of cash credit limit from banks, a situation that is unprecedented. He also termed the meeting of S Sukhbir Singh Badal with the Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi as a media stunt, just to divert the attention of the Farmers and the people of Punjab from the core issue.
He said the state government had so far release payment only for about 40 per cent of the wheat procured by the state agencies. This was a reflection on the scandalous function of the Badal government which was now not being trusted by the centre despite the fact that the Akali Dal was the alliance partner of the BJP and part of the government at the centre.
He expressed serious concern over suicides by the farmers and farm workers and the unfortunate trend had become unstoppable. He said their harassment in the mandis was adding to this otherwise hopeless situation. These suicides reflected the magnitude of the crisis that was confronting the farm sector and the state government had failed to take even a single step to improve the situation. He pointed out that farm incomes grew the fastest from 2004-5 to 2011-12 when it was the UPA in power at the centre that used to take good care of farm sector by appropriate hike in the minimum support prices.
Mr Channi also strongly condemned the Badal government for the utter neglect of the health sector with rural health scheme having totally collapsed in the absence of adequate staff as at some places, the only staff happened to be class IV employees. On the other hand, the state government had been encouraging private sector players thereby making treatment out of the reach of the common man.
He made it clear that the Congress after coming to power in 2017 elections would give top priority to health and education sectors while coming out with a long term policy for the farm sector.
