NewZNew (Punjab) : Aam Aadmi Party feels strongly concerned about the nonpayment of paddy payment to the farmers in Punjab for the last two week. The fight between the partners of ruling alliance in Punjab i.e. Akali Dal and BJP has led to this suffering of the farmers. Modi led BJP Government in the centre with Mr. Arun Jaitely as its Finance Minister is using this nonpayment as a handle to settle score with Badal Father and Son as the duo supported INLD in recently held Haryana elections. Akali Dal in its Lok Sabha Election Manifesto has showered all the praise for Modi in the opening preamble itself and was campaigning throughout that Punjab will be flooded with central Funds for various development projects. Sukhbir Badal even went to the extent of saying that truck loaded with currency notes (Which he of course changed to bails in a later speech) will land in Punjab once Modi comes to power in the centre. This is far from true as all requests of central assistance to Punjab through letters to PM & FM and through personal visits of father and son has yielded no results and every time they returned empty hand.
The request of Punjab Government to grant credit limit of Rs. 18000 crores has again fallen on deaf ears of ruling BJP at the centre. Centre has granted credit limit of only Rs. 8000 crores and denied the balance Rs. 10000 crore. These funds from the credit limit were required for the payment to farmers and traders for the paddy already procured by central agencies. Punjab has no money to pay salary to its employees, how can it pay the farmers the price of paddy already procured by central agencies. This is just to harass the farmers and traders of Punjab during the Rabi sowing season. Depriving farmers of cash at this stage can seriously affect the Rabi output and harm the food security of the nation unless BJP at centre has a hidden agenda to import food grains from outside through one of its business connections and want to benefit such connections in a big way.
Punjab Government has even failed to credit post matric scholarship funds to the education institutions as fees of students belonging to scheduled castes. This is a clear violation of the Punjab & Haryana High Court order as the court has ordered payment of fees directly to the education institution. Since the funds have been received from Government of India, as verified by an officer of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment Government of India, however, Punjab Government has not paid fees to institutions, the institutions are asking the poor student to pay these fees and many has stopped going to the classes. This is clear case of contempt of court. If the funds for the fees are diverted how can Punjab government pay the farmers for their paddy dues?
Aam Aadmi Party cannot sit and watch this agony of the farmers and traders of Punjab. It will resort to peaceful mass protests in all the district headquarters of Punjab on 10th of November 2014, to press upon central Government and Akali-BJP Government in Punjab to all the dues of the farmers in the next few days. You can’t procure farm produce from the farmers and deny them the payment otherwise the farmers may be compelled to demand instant payment and start claiming interest for delayed payments at market / commercial rates.
If the matter is not sorted out immediately Aam Aadmi Party workers from all over Punjab will protest on the opening day of the winter session of the Parliament in Delhi in front of the Parliament house. It is a shame on the part of central Government and Akali-BJP Government in Punjab to treat the farmers and traders so badly in the agrarian food bowl of the country.
