Won’t stop free power to farmers: CM

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Nakodar, March 14

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said here today that free power to the agricultural sector would not be withdrawn, even as he rubbished the SAD’s allegations that the state government wanted to issue bills to farmers for using tubewells.

Launching the second phase of the farm debt waiver programme, the CM issued certificates worth Rs 162.16 crore to 29,192 farmers. The next phase would kick off in Majha, he said.

Capt Amarinder said, “The Congress is fulfilling its promise to rid the farm sector of crisis. We came in at a time when farmers were debt-ridden and suicides were being reported in every village. During our rule, suicides have gone down.”

The CM added, “Our plan is to slowly bring all needy farmers under the programme’s ambit. We have money for the purpose.”

Taking on the Akalis for claiming that the Congress was planning to install water meters on tubewells and bill farmers, the CM said: “No matter what the Akalis say, we will not bill you. As an experiment, we are planning to fix meters on 900 of the 13.5 lakh tubewells in the state as part of a project aimed at saving groundwater. Farmers will get an incentive of about Rs 10,000 for these tubewells. In return, I urge them to use water judiciously.”

He claimed that the SAD-BJP was not keen on the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report. “Harsimrat Kaur Badal has also not taken up the issue despite being a Union Minister. We want the entire report implemented.”

Meanwhile, the CM announced infrastructure projects worth Rs 113 crore for bypoll-bound Shahkot and Rs 49 crore for Nakodar.

Ministers hail Capt 

Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot called Amarinder “Hindustan de anndata”, while Finance Minister Manpreet Badal termed him the “second Sir Chhotu Ram” of Punjab. Manpreet said: “The CM has actively championed farmers’ rights. It’s the first time such a debt waiver scheme has been introduced.” Sir Chhotu Ram was the architect of revenue reforms for farmers in the 1930s.

‘Need to save water’

On depleting groundwater in the state, the CM said: “Around 25 years ago, the state had 15.5 MAF (metre acre-ft) of water. It has now reduced to 13 MAF. The Sutlej water levels have come down. There are places where groundwater has gone down to 1,200 ft and is unfit for drinking. Do we want our rivers to run dry? The meter project is started to prevent this kind of a catastrophe. Nahi tan eh suba registaan ban ju (Punjab is in peril of turning into a desert).”