Evenas he termed the Centre’s proposal on direct payment to the farmers, bypassingthe Arhtiyas, as another provocation that will further aggravate the currentcrisis over the Farm Laws, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh onMonday said the apathetic attitude of the Government of India would not helpresolve the situation.
Thematter had to be resolved by the Centre and the farmers, with the Punjabgovernment having no role to play as the farmers’ associations hadcategorically rejected any political interference, said the Chief Minister,speaking to mediapersons on the state budget, which he described as pro-farmerand pro-poor.
Thegrowth-oriented budget unveiled today in the Vidhan Sabha by Finance MinisterManpreet Singh Badal was designed to ensure the welfare of all sections of thesociety, Captain Amarinder said. It was a people’s budget and yet another stepin the fulfillment of his government’s promises to the people of Punjab, headded, citing the hike in Shagun and Pension amounts and the allocation for thestate’s infrastructure development, including the link roads.
Insteadof amicably resolving the farmers’ issue, the central government was fuellingfurther angst among them, said the Chief Minister, adding that by seeking landrecord for making e-payment to the farmers directly from the FCI, the situationwould worsen. Punjab had a time-tested system in place in 1967, with farmersgetting paid through the Arhtiyas with whom they had excellent relations and onwhom they could depend for financial support in times of adversity, he said.“How can farmers rely on corporate houses like the Ambanis and the Adanis intimes of crisis,” he asked.
TheChief Minister stressed that the Centre should have taken the farmers intoconfidence before bringing the controversial Ordinances. “Had the Centre beensincere about finding a viable solution to this problem, it would have eitherconsulted the Punjab government or our farmers, as our state alone contributesover 40% of foodgrains to the national pool,” he remarked.
CaptainAmarinder made it clear that Punjab, which was initially not even a part of thedeliberations on the agricultural reforms, was included in the high-poweredcommittee only after he wrote to the Centre. Manpreet Badal and SecretaryAgriculture KS Pannu attended the two meetings held thereafter but there was nomention there about the ordinances or the new laws, he added.
TheChief Minister, in response to a question, said the Governor should immediatelydecide and forward the state’s amendment Bills against the Farm Laws to thePresident. “If the President accepts it’s good and if he refuses, it will openthe doors for us for legal recourse,” he added.
Toanother query regarding the imposition of lockdown due to recent surge inCovid-19 cases, the Chief Minister said, "I cannot say right now, but Ihope we are able to control it." At the same time he asked the people tostrictly follow safety norms as a precautionary measure. Asked to comment aboutpost-vaccination effects, the Chief Minister said he was absolutely
fine.
Inresponse to a question on the exclusion of PCA Stadium, Mohali, from IPL venuesfor forthcoming session, the Chief Minister said he had already tweeted toexpress his resentment. If Mumbai Stadium could be a venue with more than 10000cases a day why should Mohali beignored, he asked, adding that the state government had already assured of allarrangements to ensure strict compliance with Covid protocols at Mohali.
Askedto comment whether the next state assembly elections for 2022 would be ledunder his leadership, the Chief Minister said the decision was the soleprerogative of AICC President Sonia Gandhi. On the statement of Manpreet SinghBadal that he won’t be the next Finance Minister if Congress comes to power inthe 2022 assembly elections, the Chief Minister, in a lighter vein, said that“this is to be decided by the party not him.”