Jakhar seeks `150 crore for farmers
Friday, 24/04/2015
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=129630&boxid=57887&uid=&dat=2015-04-24
Chandigarh : Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Sunil Jakhar has demanded from the state government to release farmers’ dues of Rs 150 crore, which have not been released since 2009. In a statement issued here on Thursday, Jakhar said then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had released a grant of Rs 800 crore in 2009 to compensate the farmers of drought-affected areas.
“It was after much protest by the farmers that the state government had only issued Rs 300 crore to calm down the farmers, whereas amount of Rs 150 crore was still awaiting release,” he claimed. Jakhar slammed the Central and state governments for “failing to protect the farmers’ rights” and also blamed them for “spoiling the present and future of farmers by adopting anti-farmers policies.” He also raised the issue of the relaxation of the moisture content to all other states except Punjab by the BJP-led Central government and slammed it for doing injustice with farmers of Punjab.
He highlighted the same condition of farmers in 2013 when then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had directed authorities to procure grain without cutting minimum support price but under the present government at the Centre, procurement agencies are not paying complete MSP by blaming moisture.
