Taking serious note of people facing problems due to shortage of drinking water as result of non-payment of electricity bills by Nagar Councils and Panchayats in Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party on Friday warned to act against councils’ presidents and office bearers and sarpanches for failing in fulfilling their duties.
“It is the failure of the Nagar Councils and Panchayats as they fell short of providing basic facilities like drinking water to the people,” said AAP leader HS Phoolka, while addressing the media at Jalandhar, while terming it as an ‘inhuman approach’ as the money was collected from the residents but it was misused by the concerned people.
Phoolka said that as per the reports from all over the state, hundreds of such cases were reported where people are deprived of basic facility of drinking water due to the negligence of officers and politicians.
Warning them to pay the bills or be ready to face the heat, Phoolka said that the responsible representatives will be disqualified and criminal cases will be registered against them. These people will not be permitted to contest elections further, he added.
AAP leader Dr Amamrjeet Thind said that more than 50 villages are suffering as the electricity department has disconnected the connections of water works because of non-payment of bills in Jalandhar area.
Electricity department has invited Nagar Councils and Panchayats to give written statements of assurance to continue the supply but has got lukewarm response, he said adding that political rivalry and corruption is responsible for the agony.
‘SHARDA-YAMUNA’ lINK CANAl ONlY SOlUTION OF SYl
Speaking on the Satluj-Yamuna link (SYl) canal issue, AAP leader and renowned advocate HS Phoolka said that SAD-BJP and Congress have used the issue for getting political mileage out of it.
“Punjab has no surplus water and no question arises of giving water to Haryana. As per 2002 plan drafted by the Central Government, Haryana must get water from Sharda-Yamuna link canal,” he said.
AAP leader said that the Supreme Court had directed the Centre in 2002 to construct Sharda-Yamuna link canal to fulfil water requirement of Haryana as the surplus water was causing floods in Uttrakhand. “Central government must immediately withdraw 1976 award issued by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,” he said.
HARSIMRAT DID NOTHING TO INSTAll FOOD PROCESSING UNITS IN PUNJAB
Talking about the problems being faced by potato growers in Punjab, Phoolka said that the government is less concerned about the farmers.
“Nothing has been done by the successive governments in state about installing food processing units to help the farmers. The cold stores are not provided to farmers to keep their crop and are forced to sell the potatoes at very less rates,” he said.
Taking on SAD MP and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, he said: “Harsimrat being food processing minister in Central Government could have installed food processing units in state but has not done because of personal benefits of Badal family.”
Phoolka said that 1978 report of Punjab Agriculture University talked about the food processing industry in Punjab but nothing has been done by Congress and Akali Dal so far.
“It is shocking to know that Modi government is going to import wheat from other countries and has decreased import duty from 15 to zero percent. This is being done to benefit big industrialist but the farmer of country will suffer because of the move,” he added.