The Akali-BJP government today came under sharp attack from the Opposition Congress in the Punjab Assembly over the prevailing agrarian crisis and non-distribution of subsidised sugar and kerosene among the poor.
Amid two Congress walkouts, Agriculture Minister Tota Singh, Food Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon and Minister for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Gulzar Singh Ranike were targeted by the Opposition benches for their alleged acts of omission and commission.
As leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar accused the government of discrepancies in the Agriculture Department over purchase of insecticides and pesticides at prices more than the market price, pesticide scam in cotton crop and plight of cotton and basmati growers, Tota Singh failed to defend himself. When Jakhar demanded his resignation alleging that the insecticides bought by the government were not even tested, none from Treasury benches spoke in his defence.
Clarifying his position, Tota Singh said he was the first one to order an inquiry after irregularities came to his notice. He also talked about the steps taken by the Badal government in the favour of farmers.
During the question hour, Kairon faced the Opposition ire when Jakhar questioned the government’s “inability” to distribute subsidised sugar and kerosene among the poor. Kairon said the policy was changed in 2013, and in trying to answer the question blamed it on private sugar mills, including the one owned by Congress MLA Rana Gurjit Singh, for not releasing sugar. Though he tried to build his defence even on the issue of kerosene, which the Opposition claimed was going only on the black market rather than in public distribution, he was not quite specific in his answer.
In the zero hour, Ranike found it difficult to answer the utilisation of funds received from the Centre under the Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship for SCs and Minorities. He was responding to the calling attention motion moved by Congress MLA Charanjit Singh Channi. When Ranike tried to explain that Rs 437.67 crore had been disbursed, he was overpowered by the Opposition who threatened to move a privilege motion against him tomorrow. Though Ranike tried to play the "garib" card by claiming that all were ganging up against a "garib mantri", no one came to his help.
Industry and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal told him to sit after the Speaker asked the House to proceed to the next issue, though Ranike tried to explain the fund utilisation. Ranike later sent a note to the press gallery stating dates on which money was received and how it was spent.
