Pb Congress chief blames SAD-BJP regime for farmers' woes

Punjab Congress Chief Partap Singh Bajwa today accused the SAD-BJP government in the state of adopting "anti-farmer" policies which led to their woes.
"We cannot expect anything from this Badal government in Punjab as they are having anti-farmer policies," he told farmers during his visit to Muktsar, Fazilka and Bathinda areas where he met cotton and Basmati growers.
"The capital of Malwa, Bhatinda has turned into fortress by protesting farmers since September 17. But till now nobody from the Badal family or the Punjab government even had a word of sympathy or listened to their grievances," Bajwa said.
He assured the farmers that their demands would be taken up by the Congress at all levels and would apprise the party High Command about their problems.

"The Congress High Command is very serious about farmers' issue and would fight tooth and nail over the matter," the Punjab Congress chief said in a statement issued here.
It was Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi who personally visited the mandis of Punjab during the last procurement season following which the state government released the payments of the farmers, he said.

Bajwa supported the demand of farmers' organisations of compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre to cotton growers whose crop was damaged by pest attack.
"Releasing Rs 643 crore is a cruel joke with farmers who are reeling under severe debt. Already more than 20 farmers have committed suicides after this crop damage," he claimed.

The state Congress chief demanded that Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal should ensure that the market price of super fine Basmati is fixed at Rs 5,000 per quintal and the payments are made to the farmers.
He also said that Punjab government should order inquiry into the multi-crore pesticide "scam" and immediately sack the agriculture minister Tota Singh for his alleged negligence for supplying "spurious" pesticide.
Taking a jibe at the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Bajwa said the irony of Punjab is that the farmers are sitting on the roads and Sukhbir Singh Badal is preparing for the next Kabaddi World Cup.

Sukhbir or his father, the Chief Minister, doesn't have the courage to approach or meet the agitating farmers, who have voted them to power and made Badal the CM of Punjab for the fifth time, he said.