Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 3

Senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia demanded an immediate financial package for paddy farmers who were being forced to use diesel generators to rear their crop because the government was not providing them eight-hour uninterrupted power supply.

Addressing a press conference here, Majithia stressed that the farmers who had ploughed their standing paddy crop amidst lack of power supply, be given an immediate compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre.

He announced that the party would hold ‘dharnas’ tomorrow to demand justice for the farmers, industrial sector which was penalised for compulsory day offs and the common man, as well, who were also suffering due to 10-12 hour power cuts.

“The farmers and ordinary consumers were on streets for want of power, whereas CM Capt Amarinder Singh was hosting a five star lunch for Congress leaders in Chandigarh instead of holding review meetings to resolve the power crisis in the state. The PSPCL has asked government undertakings not to use air conditioners for three days”, he said.

The SAD leader said even though paddy transplantation was an annual affair, the manner in which the Congress government had purposely mismanaged the entire operation had endangered the farm economy of the State. “Farmers in large parts of Malwa and Majha regions have been struck a double blow by being denied canal water. This is why people are on the roads and protests are being held even in Mehraj, the ancestral village of the CM and in Patiala, his hometown”.

Virsa Singh Valtoha, Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal, Dalbir Singh Verka, Manjit Singh Manna and Malkiat Singh AR were also present on the occasion.