Chandigarh, March 24 Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Tuesday that the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab was forcing farmers to commit suicide out of despair after failing to provide them any support, including fulfilling the promise of providing a minimum support price (MSP) on 22 crops.
Expressing sorrow at the extreme step taken by two brothers – Jaswinder and Jaskaran of the Faridkot district after becoming heavily indebted, the SAD president said, "The AAP made big promises but did not deliver anything to farmers. It did not even purchase 'moong' pulses, as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had promised.
"It has not intervened to stop the distress sale of cotton, maize, or potatoes. It has not only failed to provide the promised Rs 50,000 compensation for crop damage but has also not given any compensation to farmers whose crops were damaged on four lakh acres due to the floods last year."
Addressing a rally in Mansa town as part of the Punjab Bachao campaign of the party, along with senior leader Prem Arora, the SAD president said the government was doing nothing except advertising. He said the AAP government had spent Rs 4,400 crore on advertising, with the latest campaign claiming that Punjab was number one in school education.
"This is being done even though national-level statistics have rated Punjab to be in the 18th position in school education, compared to other states," adding "this is understandable, as even the chief minister does not trust government schools to educate his daughter and instead opts for the most expensive private school for this purpose."
Badal also announced that the next SAD government would establish a World Skill Training University in the region. "The university will have an annual intake of one lakh students and will establish centers in each district with the purpose of training youth in partnership with corporate giants. This will make our youth employable and earn them good salaries."
He also announced that underground pipes would be installed in the Mansa constituency to provide optimal irrigation services to farmers. Describing his vision for Punjab, Badal said that the SAD would not allow water to flow into the Rajasthan canal. "All water diverted from the Rajasthan canal will be diverted to the fields of Punjab."
Badal also announced that he would not allow one drop of industrial or sewage effluent to enter the Sutlej and Beas rivers. "Those who violate this will be dealt with sternly. This is absolutely essential to tackle the problem of cancer in the Malwa belt."
The SAD president also announced an ambitious plan to lay concrete on all streets in 13,000 villages in the state, with 2,500 villages being covered under this scheme every year. He said that a Rs 10 lakh interest-free loan would be offered to youth, besides restarting the expanded Aata Dal scheme and raising the old-age pension to Rs 3,100 per month and Shagun allowance to Rs 1 lakh.
He also announced that all farmers lacking a tubewell connection would be provided this facility, besides 12-hour power supply during the daytime, and that 75 per cent subsidy would be given to establish dairy and other livestock ventures.
Senior leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, while speaking on the occasion, said that the erstwhile SAD government had spent Rs 650 crore on the development of Mansa, which included laying of sewerage facilities in the city, six water works, reverse osmosis systems in each village, and revamp of rural and urban infrastructure.