CHANDIGARH: Senior Congress Leader and Punjab Cabinet Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi termed the so called agricultural reforms as black laws for Punjab and said that these bills would not only destroy the farmers and the economy of Punjab but also the food security of the country.
Urging the Union Government to withdraw this black law in a press statement issued here today, Rana Sodhi said that instead of applauding the farmers of Punjab who had been feeding the country for years, Centre had betrayed them by bringing this bill, which the state government under Captain Amarinder Singh will never tolerate. He said that these bills had jeopardized the future of Punjab's farmers, artiyas, labourer and the entire marketing system. He said that the Center should take care of the interests and understand the widespread unrest and fear in Punjab over these bills. Assuring the farmers of the support of the state government, he said that the state government has also decided to go to court against these bills and would make every effort to get these bills back. He stated that Congress party will organize statewide protest in Punjab against these Bills on 21st September.
Senior Congress Leader Rana Sodhi said that these bills of the Union government which were talking about agricultural reforms would cost Punjab Rs. 4000 per year. These bills are the most dangerous for the state of Punjab whose economy is totally dependent on agriculture. He said that Punjab being a landlocked state had no port and no big industry. Agriculture, Punjab's only recourse, is now in jeopardy. He said that it was the allies of the so called Akali Dal who had betrayed the farmers which Punjabis would never forgive.
Rana Sodhi said that the state government had started protesting against the ordinance from the time it was drafted. Captain Amarinder Singh called an all party meeting against the ordinances in which all except the Akali Dal and the BJP supported the state government. Then a resolution was passed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha against it. Even then the BJP opposed the resolution and the Akali Dal members were deliberately absent.
The Cabinet Minister further said that Punjab has served the country in every aspect whether it was in the field of food security or protection of the country's borders. When there was a food crisis in the country, the farmers of Punjab brought a green revolution and made the country self-sufficient in food grains. Now the Union Government should also look after the plight of the farmers of Punjab. He warned that if the farmers of Punjab, who were the biggest contributor of wheat and paddy in the central pool, were not taken care of now, the country would face a major food crisis which would be most dangerous.