Jakhar joins protest over water shortage in Abohar and Fazilka

Tuesday, 21/06/2016

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ABOHAR (FAZILKA): As the Punjab elections are nearing, the state Congress is leaving no stone unturned in attacking Shiromani Akali Dal led government over various issues.

Congress MLA Sunil Jakhar along with farmers on an indefinite protest against the state government in Abohar on Monday.

Since Saturday, Congress has held two protests and one interaction programme- Lokan Da Darbar- to counter SAD government over its policies and alleged corruption scams during its nine-year tenureship.

On Monday, state Congress vice president and Abohar MLA Sunil Jakhar along with farmers started an indefinite protest at Abohar against the alleged shortage of water for agricultural purposes in Abohar and Fazilka assembly segments.

Dharna farmers holding placards in hands with Jakhar raised slogans against the state government alleging that the government was meting out step motherly treatment to farmers of these assembly segments by not providing them adequate water for agriculture purposes.

Abohar assembly seat is with Congress and Surjit Kumar Jyani of Bharatiya Janata Party, SAD’s alliance partner, holds the Fazilka assembly seat.

Slamming state government, Jakhar reminded the state government about consensus of 1970, in which majority of people of Abohar and Fazilka had decided to stay with Punjab instead of Haryana. “But now state government has been showing step motherly behaviour with the people of the area,” he expressed.

Blaming the state government for ignoring the problems of the farmers for past long time, Jakhar said that state chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was giving an impression that he became chief minister only to look after his own constituency Lambi, whereas his prime concern should be to solve the problems of every citizen of the state.

Jakhar said that during monsoon season, the drain water was also diverted towards these two assembly segments, which already had been facing water logging problem.

Blaming the state government for failing to repair water channels, he said that despite the budgetary provision of `5 crore for cleaning water channels the state government has failed to do so.

He gave example of the sangat darshan of chief minister held at Balluana village, saying that farmers had complained about the poor maintenance or cleaning of canals but chief minister did not provide solution for the problem.

He also said that on one side chief minister was calling people of the state to make sacrifice over the issue of water on the other side state government was not distributing available water fairly.

He added that he would continue daily protest till the proper supply of irrigation water is arranged for the farmers of the two assembly segments.