Will launch movement if free power stopped: Sukhbir to CM

Realise gravity of the issue and reject the report of the Congress’ blue-eyed economist who has described free power facility as ‘regressive. SUKHBIR BADAL, SAD chief to CM

CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday warned Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh against withdrawal of free power to farmers which was introduced in 1997 by the then Parkash Singh Badal-led SADBJP government.

“If you take a single step towards discontinuing free power to farmers, you must prepare yourself and your government to face an unprecedented mass movement by the SAD to safeguard the farmers’ interests. We will never allow free power to be stopped,” said Sukhbir.

He said the SAD rejects this report as “inimical to farmers and accepting its recommendations will amount to signing the death warrant of poor farmers.”

He asked the CM to “realise gravity of the issue and reject the recommendations of the Congress’ blue-eyed economist, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who has described free power facility as ‘regressive’ and advised the government to stop it.”

The SAD chief lashed out over another recommendation of Ahluwallia in which he had advised the state government to ‘slow down the procurement of paddy in state.’ “This recommendation of the Congress-loyalist

economist sets the cat out of the bag. This is clinching proof of who really wants to stop assured procurement of farmers’ produce by the government,” he said.

He added that Captain is always looking for excuses to stop free power to farmers. “He had withdrawn this facility during his previous tenure as CM during 2002-07 before the SAD forced him through a mass movement to resume it,” he said.