Jakhar criticises govt over whitefly attack on cotton
Thursday, 27/08/2015
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FEROZEPUR: Cotton crop over as many as four lakh hectares of land has been damaged by whitefly in Punjab but the state government, led by Parkash Singh Badal, seems to be least bothered about the plight of the farmers.
Leader of Opposition and Abohar MLA Sunil Jakhar showing whitefly-affected cotton plants at Abohar district on Wednesday.
This was alleged by leader of Opposition and Abohar MLA Sunil Kumar Jakhar at Abohar, a subdivision of Fazilka district, on Wednesday.
“It is ridiculous that agriculture officials are blaming the late sowing of cotton crop for the attack forgetting that the authorities concerned had failed to provide water for irrigation when it was time to sow the crop. It is also ridiculous that higher agriculture officials were saying that whitefly came from Pakistan,” Jakhar said.
“The Punjab government neither issued any tender for the purchase of pesticides (meant to be given to farmers on 50% subsidy) nor took any expert advice from Punjab Agricultural University,” Jakhar said.
“There should be a high-level probe into the procurement of such pesticides,” said the leader of Opposition.
“Despite being a veteran politician, Punjab agriculture minister Tota Singh miserably failed to frame any sound agriculture
SUNIL KUMAR JAKHAR, leader of Opposition in state assembly policy,” alleged Jakhar.
“About 15 years ago, Badal was known as a farmer but now he is known as a transporter and a hotelier, so he is least concerned about the interests of farmers of the state”, he said.
“The entire Punjab is reeling under multiple troubles but the government is not bothered to even call a special session of the state assembly fearing exposure of their failures,” said Jakhar.
The Union government has released `193 crore under the Natural Calamity Relief Fund to the state government which should be immediately disbursed among cotton farmers affected by whitefly, he said.
