Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa on Sunday slammed the Punjab Government for non-release of payment to transport operators and labourers who were engaged for lifting of paddy during the current paddy season.
“I have been told that crores are due,” said Bajwa, in an official Press statement. “The State procurement agencies engage transport operators through tenders and labourers to lift the paddy from the mandis. Some payment was made in the beginning, which has now been totally stopped and the transporters and labourers are passing through an extremely tough financial situation,” said Bajwa.
He demanded immediate release of funds by the State procurement agencies to the transporters and labourers. Bajwa said that earlier it was the farmers who were not paid for their crops, and now the Punjab Government and its agencies are holding back the legitimate dues of poor daily wagers who live hand to mouth. “This exposes the complete financial breakdown of the finances of Punjab,” he said.
To mention a few, salaries have not been paid for months in many departments, old age pensions, shagun schemes payments running into hundreds of crores have not been paid, funds for SC students (scholarship funds) have been diverted, alleged Bajwa.
He further alleged that MANREGA funds have not been paid to the workers for many months. “At the same time, the extremely high taxes in Punjab have virtually ruined the trade and industry,” he said.