Party will demand waiver of domestic and industrial power bills during lockdown period
Will also demand release of sugarcane dues owed to farmers by private sugar mills
Will demand restoration of blue cards withdrawn at instance of Congressmen
Chandigarh, June 13, 2020: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will submit memorandums to deputy commissioners across the State on June 18 to demand immediate action against Congressmen responsible for the liquor, seed and ration scams besides waiving off power bills of both domestic and industrial consumers during the lockdown, immediate release of sugarcane dues to farmers, direct compensation to farmers in lieu of increased labour charges and restoring all blue cards which had been deleted at the instance of Congressmen.
Disclosing this here today, party spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said a decision to this effect had been taken by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal after consultation with party leaders.
Dr Cheema said there was growing resentment amongst the people as the real king-pin of the Rs 5,600 crore liquor scam were not being prosecuted. These included the family of the Religious Advisor to the chief minister following seizure of two trucks of illicit liquor from its sugar mill compound as well as Congress leaders Madan Lal Jalalpur and Hardyal Singh Kamboj who were running an illegal distillery cum bottling plant through their front men.
It said the government was also trying to bury the Rs 4,000 crore seed scam by going after the small fish even as the real king pin roamed scot free. It said the role of Cooperation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa should be probed in the seed scam but said this would be possible only if there was an independent inquiry into the case by the CBI or a sitting judge of the high court.
Dr Cheema said an inquiry was also needed to probe how a large part of central food grain relief was diverted to Congressmen and never reached the beneficiaries. It said it was condemnable that while the State had lost thousands of crores due to these scams, the government had given a relief of Rs 673 crore to liquor contractors and Rs 150 crore to the sand mafia.
The SAD will also protest against nonpayment of Rs 383 crore to sugarcane growers by private sugar mills. It said chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh held the Agriculture portfolio and he must ensure that these dues were paid to farmers at the earliest.
Dr Cheema said the party would also demand restoration of Blue cards which had been deleted unfairly due to interference by Congress leaders. He said the party was already fighting for the rights of the poor whose names had been deleted and had also taken up the matter in court. “We are hopeful that soon the Congress government will be forced to restore all blue cards which had been deleted in constituencies across the State”.
The SAD leader said the government would also demand compensation to the tune of Rs 3,000 per acre for the extra cost which will be incurred by them in transplanting paddy besides demanding that the State government take on the responsibility of all power, water and sewerage bills levied during the lockdown period and pay the same to the utilities from the Disaster Management Fund. It also demanded that the government honour its promise to waive fixed power charges for the industrial sector for two months.