SAD not to be party to Centre’s bid at diluting federalism, says ex-mp

CHANDIGARH: Akali leader and former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra on Wednesday said the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) would not be party to any legislation brought by the central government that erodes the powers of the states.

Reacting to the centre’s announcement to virtually do away with the state agricultural marketing produce legislation, Chadumajra said the SAD was the only party in the country that consistently fought for state autonomy and made sacrifices. He added every action of the party on this sensitive issue would be dictated by that glorious history. “Any intervention by the centre will tantamount to encroachment on the rights of the states,” he said in a release.

Chandumajra’s statement signals that the SAD may be upping the ante against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), of which it is one of the oldest partners, on the issue of federalism and farmers. He said the move was skewed against the farmers in general, and Punjab in particular, whose contribution to the country’s food security continued to be the highest.

The Akali leader said the governance model being implemented by the centre was exhibiting tendency towards centralisation and weakening the powers of the states vis-a-vis the centre, with the move to amend the marketing produce act its latest manifestation. “No sacrifice will be too big for the party in its endeavour to protect the rights of the state in accordance with the past struggles of the Akali Dal,” he claimed.

Chandumajra added that minimum support price (MSP) system would not be allowed to be tinkered to permit unhindered operationalisation of the market forces and that would destroy the farm economy and the farmers, adding that it protected the farmers from the vagaries of the exploitative market forces.

He said yet another move by the centre in this regard was interfering in the functioning of the state electricity boards with special reference to the powers of the states to sign power purchase agreements.

“The central government’s move would dilute these powers. Moreover, making direct transfer of subsidy will directly harm interests of the farmers in Punjab where power is supplied free to tubewells for farm operations,” he said.

The Centre’s governance model exhibits tendency towards centralisation and weakening the powers of the states. No sacrifice will be too big for the party in its endeavour to protect the rights of the state.

PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA , former Anandpur Sahib MP