Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday categorically said that anyone found guilty of supplying spurious pesticides to the cotton cultivators would not be spared at any cost.
Winding up the discussion on the resolution moved by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal on current agrarian crisis at Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Badal said that he had already asked the Special Secretary Agriculture to submit a detailed report on this contentious matter by September 30.
likewise, to get at the bottom of the case, he had already ordered an enquiry to fix the responsibility of the erring officials and dealers involved in the sale of spurious pesticides by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Police comprising three Inspector Generals of Police (IGPs) under the direct supervision of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Crime, he said.
Reiterating the firm commitment to fully compensate the cotton growers affected by the attack of ‘white fly’, the Chief Minister said that a special ‘Girdawari’ (crop loss assessment) was being done by the State Government to ascertain the loss, which would be completed by the end of this month.
He said that the problem of ‘white fly’ had aggravated due to deficient rain during this season resulting in harsh attack from ‘white fly’ on the cotton crop. Badal said that they had already released Rs 10 crore for the payment of compensation to the farmers, who had already ploughed back their cotton crop extensively damaged due to attack from whitefly in an area of 11,780 acres spreading over six districts of Malwa belt.
The Chief Minister said that government was spending Rs 2175 crore for lining of Rajasthan and Sirhind feeder. The head to tail concrete rejuvenation of Bist-doab Canal would be done at Rs 320 crore which would enhance the irrigation capacity of ‘lifeline of Doaba’ six times from existing 35000 hectares to 2 lakh hectares adding that the work on this ambitious project would start from coming October. The work on Kandi Canal would be completed by April 2016. he added.