To save farmers from distress selling of crops in open market, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today approved setting up of a price stabilisation fund in the state.
Interacting with a delegation of the Bhartiya Kissan Union, which called on him today, Badal said that this step would result in a self-sustaining mechanism to ensure better remunerative prices to the peasantry for their produce.
Besides, it would offer marketing support to offset the negative impact of marketing forces, Badal said.
The Chief Minister said that the state government was in constant touch with the central government "to impress upon them to overcome certain shortcomings in new crop insurance scheme launched by them (Centre) to make it a more farmer friendly policy".
"The state government has brought all the objections in the Centre's notice and will urge them to amend the scheme so that majority of farmers especially from green revolution states like Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh are benefitted from it," he added.
Acceding to demand of the delegation of Bhartiya Kisan Union, the Chief Minister approved to appoint those farmers and 'Arthiyas' or Commission Agents, who were educated and well versed with the ground realities of the peasantry on the state level Agricultural Debt Settlement Tribunal and district level debt settlement forums.
This, he said, was to ensure foolproof and efficient implementation of the "The Punjab Settlement of Agricultural Indebtedness 2016", which provides for a framework for expeditious determination and settlement of non-institutional agricultural debt.
During the deliberations, the Chief Minister informed the delegation, led by the Chairman of Punjab Mandi Board Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, that the state government has already released funds worth Rs 80 crore to ensure free crop loan of farmers upto Rs 50000.
Badal, according to an official release, said that the state government was fully sensitised towards the problems being faced by the farmers due to which every effort was being made to bail them out from the "current agrarian crisis".
He said "no true Punjabi" can ever forgive Congress for
sins like Operation Blue Star and the killing of innocents in 1984 anti-Sikh carnage.
On the sidelines of Sangat Darshan, the Chief Minister said he would contest the election from the seat which would be allocated to him by the party.
He said in a democratic set up party was the supreme and he had always obeyed by the decision of his party.
Flaying the shameful act of vandalisation of Gurdwara in Calgary (Canada), Badal said this incident has bruised the psyche of every human being in general and Sikhs in particular.
He said this incident needs to be condemned in strongest words as it was a crime against the humanity as the Sikh Gurus have shown the way of peace, communal harmony and welfare of all to the entire humanity.
He said the government of India must ensure the safety and security of the law abiding members of the Punjabi diaspora abroad, which have been living in across the globe for decades as most civilised and productive members of the local society.
