Punjab News Express
HOSHIARPUR: The Punjab Congress President Mr Partap Singh Bajwa would sit on fast unto death from November 16 in Chandigarh in case the Sugar Mills don’t start the crushing of sugarcane by November 15. He appealed to the farmers organisations to extend support in this common cause. He served ultimatum to the government to accept the demands of the farmers by November 15.
Addressing a dharna in front of the sugar mill here, the PPCC President said the Punjab the Badal government should evolve policy to subsidise farmers and sugar mills on the pattern of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He said as compared to these two states, the amount to be paid in Punjab was much less. He demanded subsidy at the rate of Rs 30 to Rs 35 per quintal on sugarcane to the farmers so that the mills become viable.
At the same time, he urged the Narendra Modi government at the centre to announce package for Punjab Farmers at least Rs 51000 crore on the pattern of Bihar to offset the debt liability of the farmers who were increasingly committing suicide.
He berated the Modi government for being anti-minority and anti-Punjab. He especially referred to the threat of eviction facing the Punjabi farmers settled in Gujarat as the state government has failed to with its special leave petition from the Supreme Court.
He lashed at Badal saying the chief minister had failed on all fronts. According to recent census survey the fall in the Punjabi especially Sikh population was alarming and one of the reasons was migration of about 1.5 lakh youth from the state to other countries every year as employment opportunities were absent here. The situation had reached its nadir in the absence of lack of capital investment due to bad governance.
He announced that the next dharna would be staged by the party in front of the Kiri Afghana sugar mill on September 12.
Those who were present Santosh Chaudhary Ex MP, Sh. Brahm Mohindera MLA & Vice President PPCC, Sh. Sardool Singh Vice President PPCC, Sh. Sunder Sham Arora MLA Hoshiarpur & President DCC Hoshiarpur, Sh. Rajnish Kumar Babbi MLA Mukerian, Smt. Charanjit Kaur Bajwa MLA Qadian, Sh. Joginder Singh Mann General Secretary PPCC, Sh. Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa General Secretary PPCC, Sh. Sukhpal Singh Khaira Spokesperson PPCC, Sh. Ram Lubhaya Ex MLA, Sh. Joginder Nath Ex MLA, Sh. Harbhag Singh President DCC Ropar, Secretaries PPCC Sh. Virender Sharma, Sh. Gurwinder Singh Bali, Sh. Inderpal Singh Dhanna, Sh. Rawinder Dewan, Prof. Gurwinder Singh Mamanke, Sh. Manjit Saroya, Sh. Gurmit Singh Pahra, Sh. Baldish Singh Toor, Sh.Barinder Singh Chhotepur , Sh. Tarsem Masih, Sh. Gurpartap Singh Mann, Sh. Rajinder Singh Balla, Sh. Paramjit Singh Randhawa, Sh. Ravinder Sharma, S. Balwinder Singh Bhinda, Sh. Salwinder Singh Sandhu, Sh. Gian Singh, Sh. Swami Pal Khosla, Sh. Avtar Singh, Sh. Vinay Mahajan, Sh. Anil Dara, Sh. Vikram Joshi, S. Joginder Pal, Sh. Gurdip Singh Najowal, Sh. Gopal Mahajan, Sh. Balwan Singh, Executive Members Sh. Manish Bhardwaj PPCC, Sh. Arun Dogra, Sh. Kuldip Singh Kahlon, Sh. Inderjit Singh Randhawa, Sh. Pawan Kumar Pamma Ex MC, Sh. Balwinder Singh Laddi, Sh. Roshan Joseph, Sh. Neeraj Salhotra, Sh. Ajay Verma, Sh. Salamat Masih, S. Sukhdev Singh (Happy), Sh. Brij Mohan Puri, Sh. Ramesh Kumar Tola, Sh. Dinesh Mahajan, Sh. Swaran Thakur, Sh. Kulvir Singh Zira Vice President Punjab Youth Congress, Sh. Shamsher Singh Chak and Sh. Tarsem Minhas.