Punjab Government wants the Centre to bail it out of water logging problem. It has sought Rs3277.57 crores in all to tackle the problem. As the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar’s combined visit to the Central authorities to sanction state government’s proposal to tackle water logging was not enough, the Punjab assembly on Thursday “unanimously” passed a resolution demanding the Centre to “provide required money”.
The resolution also urged the Centre to come out with an appropriate solution to the “serious” problem, and take immediate necessary steps to protect the state from this calamity. The state legislators, cutting across the party lines, took serious concern over the water logging problem damping the entire state in hour-long discussion, but blamed the state government for not taking effective and timely steps to check the same.
Initiating the discussion on the issue, Badal pointed out how the water logging has destroyed the affected areas, making these regions as the “most difficult areas”. He pointed out that out of the total two lakh hectare water-logged area across state, 52 per cent lies in Muktsar district only, affecting lakhs of farmers.
Participating in discussion, Jakhar asked the state government to ensure that the efficient use of funds provided for the same by ensuring proper planning. “The earlier drains no prove defunct for us. So if we are seeking Rs 3000 crore from the Centre, we should also ensure proper and efficient planning, and isolate from any political pressure,” he added.
Badal added that he would be inviting machines from Holland, and announced that any farmer, who wanted to plant eucalyptus in his fields, would be provided the entire expenditure by the state government as it has proved effective in checking water logging.