Punjab’s economic state getting affected due to farmer protests: Capt Amarinder

Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, September 13

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday asked the farmers protesting in Punjab to hold dharnas in Haryana and Delhi instead of in the state.

The chief minister said this while laying the foundation stone of Government College, Mukhilana, in Hoshiarpur.

He said the farmers were protesting in 113 sites across the state. He said that such protests were adversely affecting the economic prospects of Punjab.

“If the farmers are to hold dharnas, they should move to Haryana and Delhi instead of Punjab,” he said in his address.

Launching a fierce attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for double crossing the farmers over the issue of black farm laws, the chief minister said the farm laws were drafted with the consent of SAD with Harsimrat Kaur Badal as the Union minister and even former CM Parkash Singh Badal arguing in favour of these laws but changing their tune completely when their move backfired.

Taking on the Union Government, the chief minister said that the Constitution has been amended 127 times since 1950.

“So why not one more time to repeal the farm laws for providing succour to the farmers who have been sitting at Singhu and Tikri borders,” he said, adding that the Punjab government has provided Rs 5 lakh to every farmer from the state who died during the agitation against farm laws besides a job to the kin of the deceased farmers.

The chief minister also addressed a gathering on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of PAU College of Agriculture at Ballowal Saunkhri in Nawanshahr and kick-starting the academic session with admissions already made to 60 seats and classes set to begin from October 1.

The chief minister said it would be the first time that a College of Agriculture outside the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, would come up with the BSc (Agriculture) course.

He said the opening of this college will prove to be a milestone in the development of agriculture in the Kandi area and will be helpful in strengthening its research on the problems and crops of this region as well as agricultural services for region’s farmers.

Announcing a horticultural research station in Nawanshahar, Capt Amarinder Singh emphasised apple research also as part of diversification.

“The state government would now pay 90 per cent of the subsidy from earlier 60 per cent paid to the small farmers for erecting barbed wire fencing in order to protect their crops from animals,” announced the chief minister adding five Horticulture Estates have been set up to guide the farmers and provide them the services for raising the fruits and vegetables.

MP from Anandpur Sahib Manish Tewari advocated reconstruction and realignment of Kandi canal phase-2 apart from exploring the possibility of a wood park and coffee plantation.

MLA from Balachaur Chaudhary Darshan Lal Mangupur expressed gratitude to the chief minister for bestowing a gift to the region in the form of the College of Agriculture and leaving no stone unturned in ensuring adequate funds for the development of the Kandi region.

He reiterated that the Congress would again form the government in the state in 2022 under the leadership of Capt Amarinder Singh.

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