Maintaining that the ongoing protests at 113 locations in Punjab was adversely affecting the state’s financial health, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday asked the protesting farmers to take their fight against the Centre’s farm laws to New Delhi while keeping Punjab out of it.
Capt Amarinder appealed to the representatives of various farmers’ unions not to hold protests across the State against the farm laws passed by the Centre as the State Government and its people have already expressed solidarity with them on this issue.
Mincing no words, the Chief Minister categorically said that the State, where its entire people stood like a rock with them in favour of their legitimate issues, should desist from holding protests across the State against these black farm laws passed by the BJP-led Central Government and thrusted upon them unilaterally even without taking into their confidence. “These ongoing protests at 113 places in Punjab by the farmers are not at all in the interests of the State, which has considerably impacted its economic development,” he said, hoping that his request would be acceded to by the farmers on agitation.
He, however, said that since these laws have already been rejected in the State Assembly and replaced by the State Government's farm laws which were sent to the Governor for his accent, but to our dismay, these have not yet been forwarded to the President of India.
“Anything within the purview of his Government was done by us promptly,” said Capt Amarinder adding that a delegation of various leaders from these farmers unions met him recently at Chandigarh to get the price of sugarcane hiked from Rs 325 to Rs 360 per quintal and the same was accepted by me at once.
Expressing concern over the inordinate delay in meting out farmers’ justified demands due to Centre’s apathy, the Chief Minister further said that instead of holding protests in the State, they should mount pressure on Union Government to get these anti farmer laws repealed.
CAPT FLAYS BADALS FOR PLAYING DOUBLE GAME ON FARM LAWS
Launching an attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for double crossing the farmers over the issue of black farm laws, Capt Amarinder said that the farm laws were drafted with the consent of SAD with Harsimrat Kaur Badal as the Union Minister; and even the former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal arguing in favour of these laws but changing their tune completely when their move backfired.
Calling Congress as the only party who protested against these black laws from the very first day, the Chief Minister said that his Government called an all party meeting and then held consultations with the farm unions. Afterwards, the Punjab Government convened a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and passed Bills aimed at countering these farm laws.
Taking on the Union Government, the Chief Minister said that the Constitution has been amended 127 times since 1950. “So why not one more time to repeal the farm laws for providing succour to the farmers who have been sitting at Singhu and Tikri borders,” asked Capt Amarinder adding that the Punjab Government has provided Rs five lakh to every farmer from the State who died during the agitation against farm laws besides a job to the kin of the deceased farmers.
Capt Amarinder, addressing a gathering on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of PAU - College of Agriculture at Ballowal Saunkhri in SBS Nagar district, also kickstarted the academic session with admissions already made to 60 seats and classes set to begin from October 1, 2021. Pointing out further, the Chief Minister said that it would be the first time that a College of Agriculture, outside the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, would come up with the BSc (Agriculture) course.