Congress questions Akali silence on ‘meagre’ ₹6,000 farm support
Sunday, 03/02/2019
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CHANDIGARH: The state Congress on Saturday questioned the Shiromani Akali Dal’s silence on the ₹6,000 annual support scheme announced for the farmers in the interim budget, daring it to justify how the meagre amount could help address the farm crisis. Addressing a press conference here, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, along with state finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and party’s state affairs in-charge Asha Kumari, said the Badals who used to be hyperactive on the social media, have suddenly gone silent and have not commented anything on the budget.
“It appears that the SAD has kneeled before the BJP government at the Centre,” Jakhar said, adding that it would be interesting to see how the Akali Dal leadership would welcome the meagre amount of ₹500 per month that this budget has announced for the farmers having less than two hectares of land. “How will they justify ₹500 per month by their own NDA government to farmers as compared to loan waiver of ₹2 lakh by the Captain Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government?” he questioned.
Jakhar said though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has named the scheme as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, the meagre amount this scheme will provide to the peasants has made it “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Apmaan Nidhi”.
“It’s not only a disappointing budget but is an insulting document. Even the unemployed youth are feeling cheated by this budget as it is completely silent on providing jobs,” said Jakhar.
Manpreet said that entire budget speech by finance minister Piyush Goyal was in future tense mentioning that India would be five trillion dollar economy after in years to come. “The FM was completely silent on the achievements of their own government as there is nothing much to cheer about. None of the schemes announced in this budget is backed by money. The government data is saying that the unemployment is at its highest in the last 45 years, but the issue of job creation has been completely sidelined,” said Manpreet. Asha Kumari also dubbed the interim budget disappointing.
