Capt hits back, says won’t let radicals disturb peace
MONEY MATTERS Tries to placate agitating teachers, says his govt trying its best to address their problems, promises solution in the winter session; petrol dealers’ association calls meeting tomorrow
CHANDIGARH : A day after radical Sikh organisations called Captain Amarinder Singh a “coward” while addressing a gathering at Bargari, the Punjab chief minister on Monday warned hardliners against trying to “disturb peace in Punjab”.
In a stinging attack on radicals and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders who had accused him of playing a “friendly match with the Badals” during their speeches on Sunday, Amarinder said some people with vested political interests were seeking to politicise the sensitive issues.
“Punjab has seen 20 years of turmoil. Our people want peace and will not be carried away by the attempts of such elements to take political mileage from it. I will not allow radicals or those piggybacking on them to disturb the hard-earned peace in the state,” the CM told reporters here.
He denied that the situation has gone out of government’s control saying his government was fully equipped to deal with it. “What should I do? I can’t lift the morcha forcibly,” Amarinder said.
He also rebutted allegations of the Akali Dal that the ruling Congress was supporting radicals, holding the Bargari sit-in since June 1, to get control of the SGPC. “Do you think I am a radical? I have never had any links with such groups. We would support any moderate group of Sikhs to get control of the SGPC as I want Badals out of it. They have done enough damage to the gurdwaras. And Badals (former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Badal) are not moderates. They are opportunists who use people of all shades to meet their political ends,” he added.
Under fire from Bargari protesters that “he was going soft on Badals”, the CM said there was no question of backtracking from party’s poll promise of bringing culprits of the sacrilege and police firing incidents to justice. “It’s my job as CM to form the SIT. It is the SIT’s job to take culprits to trial courts. I cannot interfere in its functioning. The SIT has started its work. The SIT is fully aware of the sensitivity and urgency of the matter and would not delay its investigations. They have to submit an interim report to the high court by November 14,” he said.
SAYS GOVT CAN’T SET A PRECEDENT FOR OTHER AD HOC EMPLOYEES TO TAKE THE AGITATION ROUTE BY CONCEDING TO DEMANDS OF PROTESTING TEACHERS
CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday tried to deflect the heat from the protest of ad hoc teachers for full pay and high value added tax (VAT) on fuel in the sate to the cash crunch his government is faced with.
Addressing a press conference here, Amarinder tried to placate the agitating teachers by promising that his government was trying its best to address the problems of teachers and other ad hoc employees.
“A committee has been formed to work out a solution. It will submit its report and we will table it in winter session of the Punjab assembly,” he said.
He said the government cannot set a precedent for other ad hoc employees to take the agitation route by conceding to demands of protesting teachers.
“There are nearly 40,000 ad hoc employees, including nearly 8000 teachers, who have to be regularised. If we agree to demands of teachers, soon others will go on protest,” he said.
He added that the education department had negotiated with teachers and given them the option to either continue on contractual basis or join at basic pay of Rs 15,000 and work for three years before being regularised. “They have the option to either continue working on ad hoc basis for the time being or join at basic pay. He said the salary being offered by Punjab, Rs 15300, was higher than that being offered by the Centre (Rs 13900),” the CM said.
He also blamed state’s cash crisis for its inability to cut VAT rates on fuel. “We have three main sources of income. One is from state’s share in GST, second is excise on liquor and the third is VAT on fuel. All key sources of state’s income, except petrol and excise, are in central government’s control. In now wants us to reduce state taxes on fuel. What’s left with us then? Phir sadi vi chutti karo (government should be sent on leave),” he said.
He neither committed to reduce fuel prices or rule out the possibility. “We will wait till the end of this month before taking any decision in this regard. International prices of oil were fluctuating. If the Iran crisis is resolved, the fuel prices may fall. You want me to cut VAT on fuel and also pay ad hoc teachers more? How can I run the state,” he said. Reacting to the chief minister’s statement, the Punjab Petrol Pump Dealers’ Association has called an executive meeting of the association in Ludhiana on Wednesday. Its spokesperson Monty Sehgal said the association will take a call on going on strike and closing pumps in protest.
CM TO VISIT ISRAEL FROM OCTOBER 21
The chief minister also announced his plans to visit Israel next week to hold discussions on farming, water conservation and irrigation, livestock development, horticulture and food processing. He said Punjab needs to get out of the wheatpaddy cycle to ensure better earnings for the farmers. Homeland security and training of police personnel is another area in which Punjab is seeking greater cooperation with Israel, he said.
STRAW: ‘CAN’T FORCE SMALL FARMERS TO BURN MORE FUEL’
On stubble burning, Amarinder said his sympathies were with the small farmers. “Nearly 10 lakh farmers own less than five acres of land. I cannot ask them to burn more fuel to manage paddy stubble. But I am bound by law to take action against those indulging in burning of paddy straw. I have written twice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that farmers need to be compensated. But he has not responded to my repeated pleas. I think the number of farmers burning it is not as high as last year. But we will be able to see the results only after the harvesting season is complete. It is a national problem and the states and Centre have to fight it together.”
‘NOT EVERY KASHMIRI STUDENT A TERRORIST’
In response to a question, the CM said ISI had, for long, been active in Punjab and could be operating through Kashmiri students. He, however, said every student from Kashmir was not a terrorist and the police had so far not established any links of the arrested students with locals.