Harsimrat faces farm women labourers’ protest in Bathinda

Saturday, 17/09/2016

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'NO COMPENSATION PAID’ Labourers say even after more than a year, cotton pickers have not been paid the compensation for loss of crop due to whitefly The Delhi government seems to have collapsed completely as CM Arvind Kejriwal is busy in his treatment, his deputy Manish Sidodia is holidaying in Finland and other ministers are busy in mobilising people for elections in Goa, Gujarat and Punjab. HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL, union minister

BATHINDA: A group of women farm labourers of Deon village protested in front of the cavalcade of union minister for food processing and Bathinda member of Parliament (MP) Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday. She was touring the area when the incident happened, but the situation was brought under control soon.

Union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurating a sewa kendra at a village in Bathinda on Friday.

The labourers alleged that even after more than a year, they were yet to get compensation announced by Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to compensate cotton pickers for loss of crop due to whitefly attack. However, the union minister assured the protesters that they would get their due within a week and directed the officials to look into the matter.

Meanwhile, accompanied by a battery of senior administrative officials, Harsimrat inaugurated sewa kendras in around 8-9 villages of the district.

Attacking Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over outbreak of chickungunya and dengue in the national capital, Harsimrat said the AAP government had completely failed to understand sensitivity of the problem.

“The Delhi government seems to have collapsed completely as chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was busy in his treatment, his deputy Manish Sidodia was holidaying in Finland and other ministers were busy in mobilising people for elections in Goa, Gujarat and Punjab,” Harsimrat said. She added that sensing the sensitivity of the issue, Sisodia should have cut down his Finland trip to hear grievances of every household down with dengue and chickungunya.

“The AAP government cheated people of Delhi on every front and this was one of the examples. The people of Punjab must take lesson from this approach of the AAP and should teach them a lesson by shattering their dreams of ruling Punjab,” she said.

Meanwhile, Harsimrat termed Navjot Singh Sidhu’s Awaz-ePunjab front as Lifafe-e-Punjab initiative.

“It is a collaboration of dejected leaders, who were shown the door by other parties for their anti-party activities. Such fronts won’t have any impact on the political scenario in coming assembly elections,” she said.

Over the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bathinda, Harsimrat said the dates from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office are being sought for foundation stone-laying ceremony for the multi-crore health project.

“The foundation stone ceremony will be held soon after we got a formal communication regarding PM’s availability to attend the occasion,” Harsimrat said.