Punjab Cong prez Partap Singh Bajwa threatens to go on fast-unto-death

Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday said he would sit on fast- unto-death from November 16 in Chandigarh in case the Sugar Mills don’t start the crushing of sugarcane by November 15.He served ultimatum to the Government to accept the demands of the farmers by November 15. 

Addressing a dharna in front of a sugar mill near Jalandhar, the PPCC president said Punjab the Badal Government should evolve policy to subsidise farmers and sugar mills on the pattern of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He said as compared to these two states, the amount to be paid in Punjab was much less. He demanded subsidy at the rate of Rs30 to Rs35 per quintal on sugarcane to the farmers so that the mills become viable.

At the same time, he urged the Narendra Modi government at the centre to announce package for Punjab Farmers at least Rs51,000 crore on the pattern of Bihar to offset the debt liability of the farmers who were increasingly committing suicide.

He lashed at Badal saying the chief minister had failed on all fronts. According to recent census survey the fall in the Punjabi especially Sikh population was alarming and one of the reasons was migration of about 1.5 lakh youth from the state to other countries every year as employment opportunities were absent here.