Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the decision on free power to the farm sector will be discussed in the cabinet but rejected the Planning Commission's contention that it was responsible for the alarming depletion of groundwater in the state.
"The farmers of Punjab have been using ground water for the crops and the state has helped whole country to overcome food crises many times," Badal said, reacting to the recent letter of Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia asking the Punjab government to do away with free power to the sector and begin charging "appropriate tariff" for it.
Montek had said that the free power had led to an alarming depletion of groundwater in Punjab and a subsidy burden of over Rs 3,000 crore.
Asked about Montek's suggestion on power, the chief minister replied that the decision of free power to farm sector will be discussed in the cabinet.
Badal said that the issue of water royalty to Punjab had already been taken up with the Centre, but the response from the Centre "is not quick and positive".
"During the British rule, Punjab was receiving royalty on water flowing from Punjab to other states, but it was stopped by the Congress-ruled central government after independence," he said.
He said that Punjab was a land locked state and "water was its only natural resource. If other states can demand royalty on their natural resources, why can't we seek the restoration of the royalty."
Outlining Punjab's budgetary proposals which were approved by the Planning Commission, he said that Rs 325 crore will be spent on for the improvement of health services in the state.
He said that Punjab has given a project proposal of Rs 750 crore to the Commission to increase capacity of calans which are 50 years old in the state.
Asked about the demand of Punjab state employees for payment of arrears under the Sixth Pay Commission, he said, "Hopefully, it will be given to them very soon".
