SHAHPUR: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today demanded a Rs 20, 000 crore package for flood relief and rehabilitation besides a complete farm loan waiver for both farmers and ‘khet mazdoor’ to enable them to stand back on their feet.
Talking to newsmen on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the State, the SAD president said “the nation owes it to the brave farmers of Punjab who ushered in the green revolution and made the State the food basket of the country, to stand with them in this hour of crisis. A Rs 20, 000 crore package is necessary to compensate farmers for loss of crops and houses as well as relaying of roads and power infrastructure which has been destroyed by the floods”.
Mr Sukhbir Badal said the farmers of Punjab had been at the receiving end of the vagaries of nature since the last three years but had not been given any compensation by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. “The current loss has broken their back. They should be given a comprehensive loan waiver which covers loans taken from banks as well as cooperative societies”.
Mr Badal also disclosed that the SAD had convened an emergency meeting of the party to review the flood situation. “We have decided to come out with a plan to lift sand which has accumulated in agricultural fields. This involves large scale earth moving machinery and volunteers for which duties will be put in all flood affected areas”. On being asked whether this would be against government norms, Mr Badal said “farmers have the right to desilt their fields. I will lead this initiative and am ready to face any action to safeguard the interest of farmers”.
Mr Badal interacted with farmers on the occasion during the course of which they complained that the AAP government had failed to come to their aid and that they had to conduct the entire bundh strengthening exercise on their own. He gave Rs 15 lakh cash to village committees to conduct relief operations besides 25, 000 liters of diesel for strengthening the Gidderpindi, Darewal, Gatta Mundi, Kasi and Thammuwal bundhs.
Mr Badal also visited Sanghowal in Nakodar, Meowal in Phillaur and Sasrali in Sahnewal constituency. He visited the bundh sites at all three sites and gave an amount of Rs 10 lakh in cash and 15, 000 liters of diesel to conduct earth moving operations in three constituencies.
Senior leaders accompanying the SAD president at all the sites included Bachittar Singh Kohar, Rajkamal Singh Gill, Baldev Singh Khehra and Sharanjit Singh Dhillon.