Khaira seeks audit of farm loan-waiver scheme
CHANDIGARH: Punjabi Ekta Party (PEP) president Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Tuesday demanded a special audit of the farm loanwaiver scheme of the Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in the state.
Alleging bias in the implementation of loan waiver, Khaira said there were reports of widespread discrepancies with small and marginal farmers getting ignored and those with substantial land holdings getting benefited from the scheme.
“Special audit is required to find out bogus beneficiaries immediately. It should be tabled in the budget session of the state assembly,” he said at a press conference after a party meeting here. The PEP chief also demanded ₹10,000 per acre cash subsidy to the farmers to support their income. The two-time Bholath legislator was accompanied by Jaitu MLA Baldev Singh.
On projecting Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP) leader Mayawati as the next prime minister, Khaira said no decision had been taken on this. “All the constituents of the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) will jointly take a call on this,” he said. The PDA is a conglomerate of the breakaway groups of AAP and Akali Dal, BSP and the Lok Insaaf Party. Asked if he would attend the budget session, Khaira said he had not
thought about it so far.
21-MEMBER OVERSEAS COORDINATION TEAM
Khaira also named a 21-member ad hoc overseas coordination committee of the new party to set up non-resident Indian (NRI) chapters worldwide, including three of them as special invitees in the political affairs committee. “The coordination committee will contact NRI Punjabis and invite them to join the PEP through a transparent and democratic process. The overseas organisational structure will be set up within the next three months,” he added.
MEETS APP CHIEF CHHOTEPUR
The PEP president met Aapna Punjab Party (APP) president Sucha Singh Chhotepur to try and make him a part of the alliance. The two leaders discussed the possibility, but nothing was finalised. When contacted, Chhotepur said he would call a meeting and discuss the issue with colleagues. Asked if he would contest the Lok Sabha elections, the APP chief said the party would take the call on this. Chhotepur, a former state convener of the AAP, had fallen out with the party leadership in August 2016 and set up his separate party.