Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Jagraon (Ludhiana), The Punjab Congress President Mr Partap Singh Bajwa today called upon the state government to pay bonus to the farmers on wheat at the rate of Rs. 200 per quintal besides adequate compensation on other crops damaged due to continuous inclement weather.
Mr Bajwa accompanied by Mr Ravneet Singh Bittu, MP , Mr Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Mr Rakesh Pandey, Sh Surinder Daavar all MLAs, S Darshan Brar, S Kamljit Singh Brar, Ishwarjot Singh Cheema, Jatinder pal Bedi, Kanwar Harpreet, Purshottam Lal Khalifa, Major Singh Bhaini, Inderpal Singh Dhanna, S Gurdeep singh Sarpanch and several other party leaders today visited Jagraon and Mullanpur mandis to have first had account of the problems being faced by the farmers in procurement.
“The farmers have suffered a heavy damage due to bad weather. The situation has been compounded by the lack of adequate support from the governments, both at the centre and un the state. The farmers must be given relaxation in wheat specification for procurement. The potato farmers should be suitably compensated”, he said.
He said the farmers had to wait for days to sell their produce and this had been their fate for the last several years in every procurement season.
He slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Akali Dal for the current mess. He pointed out that five states had relaxed specification at their own but the Parkash Singh Badal government was still to act.
Bajwa slammed the central government for the shortage of urea and further now increasing the basic selling price of the fertilisers thus again making the agriculture more hard and non profitable for the farmers who are already under severe debt. Farmer suicide are increasing day by day which is shame to the government both in Union and the state. This is responsibility of the government to protect the lives of those who feed the whole country.
He flayed the Modi government for being anti-farmer and said this government was moving towards abolishing the system of procurement and disbanding of the Food Corporation of india which would not be tolerated. The Congress would oppose such policies including the dilution of land acquisition act tooth and nail.
He said the agrarian crisis was deepening in the country and what was needed was the second green revolution. He also called for taking immediate steps to encourage diversification by assuring market support.
Replying to a question from the media persons, Mr Bajwa said the party Vice-president Mr Rahul Gandhi had returned after his sabbatical in a new avatar to provide vigour and enthusiasm to the party rank and file and take the Narendra Modi government head on. He said the 44-year young leader would fully come up to the expectation of the people all over the country as the Modi government had already failed them even in its very first year.
