CM should assure Punjab government will purchase all crops at MSP if Centre falters: SAD

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday said the Congress government had taken up the farm bills in state legislative assembly after farmers' ultimatum but a lot more was needed to secure the future of Punjab farmers.

The Shirom Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday said the Congress government had taken up the farm bills in state legislative assembly after farmers' ultimatum but a lot more was needed to secure the future of Punjab farmers.

The party said its legislators were ready to resign en masse "to ensure the centre gave them their due".

"The fight to secure justice for the 'kisan', 'khet mazdoor' and 'arhatiyas' as well as three crore Punjabis has just started. Now Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh must give a categorical assurance that the state government will purchase all farmer crops including wheat, paddy, cotton and maize at minimum support price (MSP) if the centre defaults on the same", the party said in a release.

SAD legislature party leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Bikram Singh Majithia addressed a press conference and said it was now clear that the Congress government, which was running away from calling a special session, was forced to do so due to the ultimatum served on it by farmers and farm labourers.

"The truth is that our farmer brothers made chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh relent from his recent statement at Khatkar Kalan where he asserted that there was no point in calling a special session to negate the agri black laws," the release said.

Majithia said that even as all parties presented a united stand in the fight against the Centre, it was unfortunate that the Congress government did not share the proposed bills with all the stakeholders, including farmers and legislators before the House was convened.

"It would have been better if the government had passed a Bill under the Agriculture head by moving to make the entire State a single principle market yard to negate the implementation of the Bills in Punjab. Any such Bill would have received both the Governor's as well as the Presidential nod being a state subject. A huge opportunity has been missed," Majithia said.

He said the SAD had also requested in the assembly that the Acts of 2006 and 2017 which had weakened the State Agricultural Markets Act should be repealed, and added that it was also in line with the sentiments of Punjabis.

"It was baffling why the Punjab government refused to rise to the occasion and take a firm stand to protect APMC markets," he said.

SAD said Congress government should fulfil all the promises made to the farmers.

"This includes fulfilment of complete loan waiver promise, giving a government job and Rs 10 lakh compensation to all farm suicide victim families, one government job to all farmer families holding less than five acres land and Rs 20,000 per acre crop damage compensation," the release said.

( With inputs from ANI )