Calls for exempting poor from electricity and water bills for six months at all-party meeting
Asks CM to do away with paying minimum charges for industrial sector for six months
Chandigarh, April 14, 2020: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal today urged chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to provide immediate relief to farmers by announcing a moratorium on all cooperative loans for six months, exempt the poor from electricity and water charges for six months and do away with paying of minimum charges for the industrial sector.
Participating in the All Party meeting held by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the SAD President assured the State government full cooperation on behalf of the SAD while stressing that more relief be given to farmers including releasing all money due to them. He gave the example of sugarcane dues which have accumulated to around Rs 1,000 crore. He also gave the example of milk producers who were suffering due to closure of private milk collection centres and milk chilling plants. He requested the chief minister to direct deputy commissioners to allow opening of all milk collection centres and chilling plants.
Telling the chief minister about the difficulties the farmers would face in the wheat harvesting season which starts from tomorrow, Mr Sukhbir Badal said farmers had been allowed to bring only 50 quintals to the market at one time. He said anyone with more than 2.5 acres of land would have to make several trips to the grain market over a considerable period of time which would result in great hardship. He requested the chief minister to to look into stipulations given for making hay saying it should be allowed immediately instead of later to ensure quality and quantity. He also urged that all agriculture repair workshops were allowed to remain open during the harvesting season. He said it should be compulsory for farmers and labourers to wear face masks and said they should be given quality masks by the State. He also called off incentivising labour to ensure they remained in Punjab, or else he said the State would face another lockdown in the agriculture and industrial sector once the lockdown was lifted.
Speaking about health workers and health issues, Mr Badal said keeping in view the high risks taken by health workers in the fight against COVID-19, their salary should be doubled. Stressing the need for more testing, the SAD President said there were many instances when people who had been turned away from government hospitals had tested positive. He gave the example of a patient of Faridkot in this regard. He also called for a campaign to disinfect towns besides asking the chief minister to ensure cancer patients did not suffer with the Bathinda cancer hospital being designated for COVID-19 patients.
Mr Badal also made a strong case for ensuring food packets being distributed presently were done in a totally transparent manner. He said district level committees should be formed to stop the politicisation in distribution of relief material to the poor and needy. He gave examples to prove this point besides telling the chief minister that earmarking 5,000 kits for each constituency was very less and should be increased.
The SAD President also stressed the need to provide masks and gloves to front line workers like police personnel, health workers and safai karamchari. He also requested the chief minister to take steps to bring back the Sikh Sangat which was stranded in Hazoor Sahib in Nanded.