Sukhbir to hold protest today
SAYS THAT AFTER PROMISING UNINTERRUPTED SUPPLY, CAPT FORCING PEOPLE TO SPEND ON DIESEL GENERATORS
CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR : Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday accused chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh of practically reneging on the free power facility to farmers by refusing to provide eight-hour uninterrupted supply to them during the peak of the paddy sowing season.
Announcing a protest by the party on Friday to demand restoration of power supply, the SAD leader said that after betraying farmers by refusing to implement a complete farm loan waiver, the CM has now effectively made the free power facility redundant in the state.
“Instead of the committed eight-hour uninterrupted power, farmers are being given 3-4 hour supply, forcing them to spend thousands of rupees every day on diesel generators to save their paddy crop. All this is being done deliberately as part of a conspiracy to avoid paying subsidy to the power utility for free power given to farmers,” he claimed in a statement.
Sukhbir further said that many farmers were being forced to plough their paddy fields and thousands had not completed sowing of paddy due to lack of power.
He said the SAD would hold protests outside the offices of PSPCL on Friday to demand restoration of power supply for both the agricultural and domestic sector in the state.
The SAD chief also demanded a bonus of Rs 50 per quintal to farmers for the extra cost incurred by them in rearing their paddy crop.
He condemned the Congress government for severe cuts imposed on the domestic sector, saying these could have been easily averted with well-planned power purchase agreements (PPAS).
SAD demands financial relief for paddy growers
Akali MLA Bikram Singh Majithia on Thursday demanded that the Congress government should announce an immediate financial package for paddy growers who were being forced to use diesel generators to rear their paddy crop.
Addressing a press conference in Amritsar, he asked the government to reduce value added tax (VAT) on diesel by Rs 10 per litre, saying the government was earning thousands of crores from the misery of farmers and the common man.
He said if the government did not take these corrective measures, the SAD would gherao the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues.