Capt announces job for kin of farmers who died during stir
Says his govt stands by farmers; accuses Akalis, AAP of spreading lies on issue of highpowered committee on agri reforms
CHANDIGARH : Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday announced government job for a member of each family of the state’s farmers who lost their lives during the agitation against the Centre’s agriculture laws.
Announcing this during his Facebook Live interaction #AskCaptain, the CM questioned the central government as why it was hesitating to repeal the contentious laws. Rs 5 lakh compensation is already being given to the families of the deceased farmers, he said.
“Our government is with the farmers and would stand by them. All Punjabis are concerned about our farmers sitting at the Delhi borders to protest against the laws that were implemented without taking us into confidence. They are sitting there not for themselves but for the future generations,” he added.
“The sad part is that we are losing our farmers to the cold every day with at least 76 having died so far. The Centre should repeal the laws and then sit with the farmers to draft new bills after taking all stakeholders in confidence,” said Amarinder.
Hitting out at the Centre for pushing the laws through Parliament with brute majority, without any discussion, the CM said the entire country was paying the price for this. “Is there a Constitution in the country? Agriculture is a state subject under Schedule 7. So why has the Centre interfered with a state subject?” he asked.
To a question by a Ferozepur resident, he claimed that the Akalis and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were spreading lies on the issue of the high-powered committee on agricultural reforms, as exposed by an RTI response.
He claimed that Punjab was not even included initially in the committee and it was only after he wrote to the Centre that the state was added. “But by that time the first meeting had already taken place without the state’s representation. The second meeting was attended by finance minister Manpreet Badal as financial issues were discussed. In the third and final meeting, no political leader from Punjab was invited and only the agriculture secretary attended it,” he said.
“People should ask the Centre if India is not a democracy anymore,” he said in response to a resident’s question.
On the National Investigation Agency (NIA) notices to some farmers and supporters of the agitation, the chief minister said it was a “wrong step” and he would be writing soon to the Union home minister over it.
Even the Khalsa Aid, a humanitarian NGO which is working across the globe, has not been spared, said the CM. “If you talk to Punjabis nicely and persuade them, they will agree to your suggestions, but if you pick up a stick, they too will pick one,” he said.
Stressing that representatives of almost all farm unions from across the country are sitting at the Delhi borders, the chief minister said the agitation was of the entire nation’s farmers and not just those from Punjab.
He recalled that farmers had been getting the minimum support price since 1966, with the Congress first introducing it, and nobody had any doubts about its continuation till now because of these farm laws which were aimed at “ending” the MSP and mandi systems.
“And if that happens, the foodgrain currently procured by the Centre for use in PDS distribution will also end. Who will then give food to the poor,” he asked
{ AMARINDER SINGH } PUNJAB CM
People should ask the Centre if India is not a democracy anymore. We are losing our farmers to Acold every day.