Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday minced no words to say that the liquor was sold “clandestinely” in the State even during the curfew restrictions, while maintaining that the same was not possible without the involvement of Excise Department.
Maintaining that he has received a report on all illegalities by liquor vends and distilleries, the Chief Minister announced setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to thoroughly probe the illicit sale and smuggling of liquor during the lockdown period.
“I have all the reports, who have been doing this and who’s not been doing this. I have the report of all incidents…You are correct, during curfew due to Covid pandemic, vends were closed but the liquor was being sold from the backdoor…you won’t believe that lakhs of laahan, desi liquor was also being sold,” said Capt Amarinder adding that the same could not happen “without excise involvement”.
“We will conduct full investigation…check every distillery, and take account of their stocks,” he added.
Promising strict action against all those involved, the Chief Minister said that the three-member SIT will be headed by Water Resources Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, and will undertake thorough investigations into the whole racket.
Admitting that such large-scale illicit sale of liquor and smuggling from other states could not have been possible with involvement of some insiders, Capt Amarinder said that a full-fledged probe would be conducted by SIT to ascertain all facts, including complicity of Excise Department officials. “All those involved, including the kingpins, will be identified and arrested,” he added.
SIT WOULD GET TO THE BOTTOM OF SEED SCAM
On the possible involvement of the official machinery in the alleged seed scam, the Chief Minister said that the matter was being probed in detail by the SIT headed by an ADGP level officer along with a Joint Director of Agriculture Department.
“PAU had produced nearly 3000 quintals of PR 128 and 129 varieties of paddy seed on trial basis, whereas 30,000 quintals had been sold in the open market, to farmers, by unscrupulous dealers. This clearly indicated that spurious seeds were also mixed to these new varieties to fleece innocent farmers, and the SIT would get to the bottom of the scam,” he added.
PUNJAB TO APPEAL AGAINST HC RULING ON SCHOOL FEE
The Chief Minister has declared that the Government will appeal against the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling allowing private schools to charge fee from students for the lockdown period.
On the charging of fees by schools during the lockdown period, the Chief Minister said that the Government had taken the right decision by restricting private schools from charging any fee when students were not being taught by schools. “It is unfair to charge fee from parents when schools are closed,” he said, adding that the State would soon file a review petition against the High Court order on this issue.
Asserting that the health and safety of the children was of paramount importance, the Chief Minister also ruled out opening of schools without getting a clean chit from medical experts.
TAKE TOUGH STAND ON CHINA: CAPT URGES CENTRE
While not advocating war, Capt Amarinder urged the Centre to take a tough stand on the continuing border stand-off with China if the neighbouring country was not responding to diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue.
“My position on standoff with China in Ladakh is clear. Chinese should immediately vacate Indian territory and the matter should be resolved diplomatically. However, if diplomatic efforts fail, Union Government should take a tough stand on our borders….Assi Pith Nahi Dikhani (we cannot turn our back),” said the Chief Minister.
CENTRE HAS FAILED US IN THIS CRISIS: CAPT
Regretting that the Government of India had failed to provide any help to the small states in fighting the impact of Covid outbreak and prolonged lockdown, Capt Amarinder said that it was the Centre’s duty to come forward in fighting this national battle and help the states revive their battered economies.
Even though Punjab was on top of the Covid situation and had managed to control the medical aspect of the problem to a great extent, economic revival would require support from the Central Government, he said.
At the moment, all steps to restart the economic activity in Punjab were purely the result of the state government’s own efforts, said Captain Amarinder, describing the Centre’s present attitude as a sad state of affairs.
Pointing to the conditional increase in the borrowing limit of GSDP, he said: “By curtailing the state’s rights, the Central Government has negated the benefit of even the miniscule and delayed financial help it had extended.”
‘GOVT TAKING INITIATIVES FOR ECONOMIC REVIVAL’
On the initiatives being taken by the state to revive its economy amid Covid-19, the Chief Minister said that nearly Rs 24,000 crore has been pumped into rural economy as a result of the bumper wheat crop during the just concluded Rabi season.
Further, Capt Amarinder revealed that of the total 2.56 lakh industrial units in the State, all but 20,000 had resumed operations. However, the industry in Punjab would take some time to run to its optimum level, he said, urging the Central Government to bail out the small and medium industries, in particular, in this difficult time.
‘MORE THAN FIVE LAKH MIGRANTS STAYED BACK’
He pointed out that of 11.50 lakh of those who had applied to return to their homes, more than five lakh had decided to stay back in Punjab with the opening of the industries. “Many are also now wanting to come back to Punjab from states like Bihar and UP to resume work,” he said adding that the labourers who had gone back to their homes were talking of the care taken by the Punjab Government, with the support of the police, NGOs, religious organisations etc.
The State Government, said Capt Amarinder, had been doing its best despite the meager resources at its disposal.
Regarding shortage of labour during the paddy sowing season, Capt Amarinder that in his season, nearly 30 percent of paddy had been sown through direct seeding, which is less labour intensive and more cost-effective.
“The industry is also taking initiatives, such as pay hikes, to retain labour. However, it is the small industry, which hires the majority of the migrant workers, that needs immediate support for revival,” he added.