CHANDIGARH: Opposition parties
AAP and SAD raised issues of farm debt waiver, dues of sugarcane growers, illegal mining and regularisation of
contractual employees to take on the
treasury benches in the Punjab assembly on Monday.
Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal told the House that all arrears of sugarcane growers had been cleared. He stated that all arrears amounting to Rs 46 crore had been released to sugarcane growers by the state government. He also said that budget allocation of Rs 180 crore had also been made for the next financial year. AAP had given notice of privilege against the minister for allegedly committing contempt of the House.
It has demanded that all dues of sugarcane growers be cleared at the earliest, lest it will hit the much needed diversification plan and add to the spurt in farmer suicides in the state. “Sugarcane growers in the state get Rs 310 per quintal while those in Haryana are paid Rs 330 and in Bihar Rs 340 per quintal. This is imperative to encourage diversification, especially when area under sugarcane cultivation has increased from 90,000 hectares to 96,000 this year,” said AAP legislator
Kanwar Sandhu.
Raising the issue of contractual employees, AAP leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira said that police had used excessive force against protesting teachers and it needed to be condemned. He said those who had already been hired on contract should be given jobs on priority.
Meanwhile, SAD staged a walkout on the issue of debt waiver, alleging that only a minuscule number of affected farmers had received benefit under the scheme. Party MLA
Parminder Singh Dhindsa reiterated his charge that local bodies minister
Navjot Singh had leaked contents of the budget while answering a question. The speaker said the issue would be looked into. Manpreet Badal, however, said there was no truth in the allegation as the proposal in question about a bus stand was not mentioned in the budget.
