FAZILKA: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today warned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government that it would not allow it to sell precious government land to make a quick buck on the directions of its Delhi leadership.
The SAD president, who flagged off 25 trolleys of maize silage for flood hit villages in this constituency, said it was shocking that among the government properties listed for auction included the modern fruit and vegetable market established by former chief minister S Parkash Singh Badal across 12 acres of land in Mohali. “Vegetable and fruit shops in this market were auctioned off to traders one year back by the Mandi Board. Shops are already running at the site. Now the Board has decided to cancel the auction and snatch the livelihood of the shopkeepers. We will not allow this to happen at any cost”.
Mr Sukhbir Badal said the latest move to auction off government property including the Printing Press Colony in Patiala across eight acres of land, Printing Press Site (10 acres), Veterinary Hospital Land (2.27 acres) in Ludhiana, Sheron sugar mill in Tarn Taran (89 acres) and the PWD Guest House (1.75 acres) in Gurdaspur smacked of corruption. “These properties will be sold to favourites for an under hand consideration”.
Asserting that all these properties belonged to Punjabis, Mr Badal said “they cannot be used to fill the coffers of the Delhi AAP leadership”.
He said the AAP government was under a cloud for failing to give an account of the Rs 12, 000 crore central fund lying with it under the State Disaster Response Fund. “It is clear that money under this fund has been misused by the AAP government. Now it wants to collect even more money by selling of government properties”.
Mr Badal also visited flood hit villages of Sabuana, Mahatam Nagar and Jhangar Bhaini and interacted with the villagers. Farmers said the AAP government first failed to come to their aid when they were struck by floods and that now they were being denied compensation. “It is a shame that chief minister Bhagwant Mann has not even released the Rs 20, 000 per acre compensation announced by him for crop damage till now. Farmers are in a dire state as they do not have funds to clear their fields of sand and sow the next wheat crop”. Mr Badal assured the people that the SAD would do it’s best to help them and that it was distributing wheat seed for one lakh acres of land besides disbursing ration to 50, 000 poor families in flood hit areas.
Senior leaders including Sampuran Singh Behak, Satinderjit Singh Manta, Gurpal Singh Grewal, Jagseer Singh Babbu Jaimal wala, Raj Dibipura and district YAD president Sartaj Singh Taji accompanied the SAD president.