Muktsar: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said after denying compensation to farmers, chief minister Bhagwant Mann was sprinkling salt on their wounds by not lifting their hard earned wheat produce resulting in complete clogging of all grain markets in the State.
Mr Sukhbir Badal, who visited the Mahuana and Malout grain markets in this district, witnessed firsthand how farmers are being harassed. He also interacted with farmers and assured them that in case lifting of wheat was not started from ‘mandis’ the SAD would agitate to ensure justice was done to them.
In a frontal attack on chief minister Bhagwant Mann, the SAD president said it was shocking that while farmers were suffering in the grain markets, the chief minister was visiting Assam and Gujarat. “Earlier also when Punjab was hit by floods last year, the chief minister chose to abrogate his responsibilities and run away to facilitate Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener Arvind Kejriwal’s visits to other States”.
Asserting that farmers had been dealt a double blow, Mr Badal said “farmers are already reeling from non-payment of compensation for damage to wheat during hail storms earlier. Now when they have brought their harvest to the market they are facing difficulties in getting in procured”.
Mr Badal said the AAP government had ruined the agricultural economy of the State during the last two years. “Farmers are yet to receive compensation for crops damaged due to flooding or hail storms. The chief minister reneged on his promise to ensure advance relief of Rs 25,000 per acre to farmers for crop relief. The AAP government also failed to procure pulses and maize crops despite tall promises that they would be procured in entirety”.
Urging the peasantry to teach a befitting lesson to the anti-farmer AAP government which had also colluded with the Haryana government to suppress the ongoing farmer agitation, Mr Badal said “I appeal to Punjabis to seal the borders of Punjab with their votes to ensure Delhi based parties are not able to capture their mandate and betray them again”.