‘Aid needed for those who lost livelihood’
Baldev Khaira, MLA, Phillaur
Several of my NRI friends have joined me to serve people during the present Covid-19 crisis. Though Canada is also facing the crisis, NRI Satnam Singh sent around Rs 12 lakh to provide essential commodities to all needy residents of Phillaur town and 139 villages of the Phillaur Assembly constituency. I am receiving many calls from residents of my constituency who are apprising me about discrimination in the distribution of ration kits by government employees. I think why innocent people are being punished for casting votes against the Congress.
I have spent over Rs 10 lakh from my own pocket to provide langar to around 1,000 persons and ration kits to 100 residents daily since the imposition of the curfew. Shockingly, no isolation ward has been set up at the Civil Hospital, which is not even equipped with a ventilator. I and my team are providing PPE kits and ration kits to medical staff in Virk village daily. I am providing 25 more PPE kits, 3,000 masks and medicine to the needy.
I demand that the government should provide an economic package to cover all those who lost their livelihood. Wheat growers should be given a minimum bonus of Rs 100 per quintal and potato and vegetable farmers and floriculturists should also be given direct cash benefit. Milk producers should be given a bonus of at least Rs 5 per litre. Despite the biased attitude of government staff, I am here to serve people of my constituency.
(As told to Ashok Kaura)
