Capt flays governor for not sending Punjab bills to Prez
Says the country being divided on communal lines and only a united India can fight its enemies
SULTANPUR LODHI/DERA BABA NANAK : Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday slammed governor VP Badnore for allegedly not forwarding the agriculture amendment bills passed by the state assembly to the President.
Speaking on the sidelines of a state-level function to mark the 551st birth anniversary (Gurupurb) of Guru Nanak in Sultanpur Lodhi, Amarinder said, “The governor is sitting on the bills as he did last year. His job is to forward these bills to New Delhi.”
On the ongoing farmers’ agitation, he said, “I want the protests to end. The farmers from different states are moving to Delhi as they are upset. It is the government’s job to listen and address the people’s grievances.”
On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stand that the new laws were beneficial to the peasantry, the CM said he had been maintaining this line since the beginning, which was the reason the Punjab government came with its own bills.
‘If Pak can open corridor, so should we’
Amarinder said the Union government should give approval to reopen the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims from its side with an immediate effect.
The Pakistan government has already opened the corridor on the other side. The cor
ridor was shut down by India in March due to the pandemic.
“I don’t know why the Indian government is not opening the corridor. It may be due to Covid-19 or other reasons. If Pakistan can open it, so should we. I will write to the Centre regarding this,” he said.
He slammed Pakistan, saying, “Our neighbour always attempts to create tensions in the country. Its designs will be thwarted if we stay united.”
Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar and cabinet ministers attended the function. Later, the CM left for Dera Baba Nanak to pay obeisance.
Also, the CM laid the foundation stones of six projects in Sultanpur Lodhi. The projects include the conservation of Qila Serai at Rs 6.5 crore, gridtied roof top solar power plant at a local school worth Rs 1.25
crore, smart school at Rs 9.5 crore, sewage treatment plant worth Rs 20 crore, sub division administrative complex at Rs 3 crore and five smart aanganwari centres at Rs 45 lakh.
But the development of Pind Babe Nanak Da heritage village on 90 acres of land is yet to see the light of day.
At the function organised in Dera Baba Nanak, the CM said the country is being divided on communal lines and only a united India can fight its enemies.
“Attempts are being made to divide Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs even as Guru Nanak promoted the idea of oneness of all humans, rising above petty caste and religious considerations. This message is still relevant in the current times,” he said.
He said, “We are surrounded by the countries which want to
create disturbance in our country. China is killing Sikh soldiers on the border. Punjabi soldiers like Gurtej Singh made the supreme sacrifice and killed 12 Chinese soldiers in the recent clashes at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Our duty is to give respect to their sacrifices by strengthening unity”.
Pointing out that the MSP and arhtiya system was the backbone of Punjab’s successful agriculture model, he questioned the need to change the established structure.
“Will the corporate houses ever care to help farmers in their times of crisis?” he asked. He laid the foundation stone of heritage street (Rs 3 crore), Guru Nanak Dev Sugarcane Research and Development Institute, Kalanaur, that will come up on 100 acres of land, and Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Museum and Clock Tower.