Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, May 15: People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal today said the strong comment by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the so called ‘pro-farmer mask’ had exposed the real face of the Parkash Singh Badal government .
“The division bench comprising Justice S K Mittal and Justice H S Sidhu telling the state government to remove the mask of being pro-farmer was a strong commentary on the government which, all along, has been posing to be the champion of the farmers. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has a lot to answer for to the people on this issue”, he said.
Manpreet said the state government had washed off its hands from the state procurement of maize on the logic that it was for the centre to empower the state agencies financially, technically and logistically to undertake its procurement on the pattern of wheat and paddy. He asked as to what was the role of the state government in case everything was to be done by the centre. He said it was also shocking that the state government had taken the stand that the schemes offered by the centre on maize procurement could not be adopted.
He said this strong indictment of the Badal government had come close on the heels of the state government having been pulled up by the high court on the issue of non-payment of sugarcane arrears.
The former finance minister said the state government was pulling out from all its responsibilities as there was no long term planning on any issue and the governance was characterised by utter stagnation.
He pointed out the states like Madhya Pradesh have been providing additional relief to the farmers without looking towards the centre but here the Badal government was bankrupt but would not like to admit it.
He urged the state government to come out with its farm policy in case it was really sympathetic towards the case of the farmers as the crisis was deepening going by the rising incidence of suicides.
