Sukhbir Singh Badal asks PM to guarantee assured government procurement at MSP

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to understand the sentiments of farmers and make a commitment for assured government procurement at minimum support price (MSP), besides ensuring protection of the Mandikaran system of Punjab, according to an official press release on Sunday.

Shirom Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to understand the sentiments of farmers and make a commitment for assured government procurement at minimum support price (MSP), besides ensuring protection of the Mandikaran system of Punjab, according to an official press release on Sunday.

Sukhbir Singh Badal said Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh should also not play a double game and instead should lead from the front to get all the grievances of farmers resolved at the earliest. It was unfortunate that the CM is playing a fixed match with the centre."

"Capt Amarinder Singh is playing as per the script handed over to him by the centre. This is the reason why he has approached the farmers now, ordered them to do the centre's bidding and vacate all the railway property in the state. Surely, the Chief Minister knew that the farmer orgsations had lifted the 'rail roko' agitation more than two weeks back," Badal said.

"He should have put pressure on the centre to restart train services to Punjab instead of approaching the farmers and asking them not to sit even close to railway stations. The centre should also not victimize Punjabis for standing with the agitating farmers and instead should understand the sentiments of the people and resolve all their grievances," he added.

"Mr Badal also asserted that the SAD had broken away from the NDA after taking a principled stand in solidarity with the farmers of Punjab," the press release added.

"We will continue to stand with the farmers and will assist their agitation in every way possible," he added.

"Punjabis had realised that the Congress government could not deliver on any of the promises made to the people and that SAD alone could provide development in the state," Badal added.

Speaking about the upcoming Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER) satellite centre, at Ferozepur, the SAD president said, "Work on the proposed project only started in earnest when he took up the issue with Union Health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan last year. We had taken a review meeting regarding the satellite centre with the PGI, Chandigarh top brass a few months back. I am confident the project will be formally launched on Baisakhi next year."

( With inputs from ANI )