Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the state government has announced maximum compensation for cotton growers affected by whitefly attack and termed the agitation by farmers' outfit as "politically influenced".
"White fly had done more damage to cotton crop in states like Rajasthan and Haryana as compared to Punjab," he said here ading that Punjab government had announced maximum compensation of Rs 644 crore to help the farmers in this hour of crisis.
Sukhbir termed the rail roko stir in the state by a section of farmers' union as "politically influenced which created disruptions" for common people and commuters only.
He asked the outfits to discuss their grievances, if any, with the Chief Minister to get a solution rather than opting for agitations.
Punjab government has come under sharp attack from farmers and Congress who alleged that whitefly attack was more due to sale of "spurious pesticide" and had dismissed the compensation amount terming it as "meager" compared to the damage.
The state has nearly 12 lakh acre land under cotton cultivation this year.
The state government had suspended and arrested Punjab Agriculture Director Mangal Singh Sandhu for the alleged irregularities in purchase of pesticides for cotton growers and had set up a SIT to probe the matter.
The guilty behind spurious pesticides would not be spared, Sukhbir said.
Defending the government over farmer's issues he said that Punjab government has ensured best purchase of sugarcane and cleared all the arrears of cooperative mills.
"The Chief Minister had also sought approval from the Prime Minister to export Basmati to countries where import of rice from India had been banned," he said.
On political activities of Aam Admi Party, Sukhbir said that in democracy everybody has right to jump into electoral politics but the "days of AAP were over and so was its magic in the state".
"AAP has been exposed in Delhi as it took u-turn on all the claims and promises it had made," he said.
Earlier, the Deputy Chief Minister announced the Information Centre at Sri Darbar Sahib, here would soon be facelifted and equipped with latest audio-visual techniques and gadgets to display the heritage in an impressive way.
He also informed that beautification work in the plaza at Sri Darbar Sahib would be completed by Baisakhi which falls on April 13.
