Chandigarh October 27:
Former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal questioned the repeated assertions by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on the issue of subsidies.
“Are you lying or are you just plain ignorant?” He asked referring to Sukhbir’s claim that farmers have to pay Rs 30,000 per month in case the loan waiver conditions offered by the Centre are agreed. Farmers would only have to pay Rs 41 per HP per month as power charges and that too only by rich farmers, Manpreet asserted.
“Poor farmers will not have to pay even this amount. Further this amount of Rs 41 per HP will eventually be compensated in the MSP since this would be taken into consideration while fixing the MSP. Farmers would get more MSP since the power tariff is considered a factor in the cost of production,” said Manpreet in a press statement issued here today.
“The deal that I was negotiating with the Union Finance Ministry would have relieved the state of Rs 35,000 crore, which is 50 per cent of the total debt burden of Punjab i.e. Rs 70,000 crore. In return, the state would have to cut subsidies only by Rs 400 crore per year. Is the amount of Rs 400 crore too much to ensure that a debt of Rs 35,000 crore is waived off?” Manpreet asked.
The issue of withdrawal of bus passes subsidy for students is another lie being perpetrated against him, Manpreet said. He said the SAD-BJP combine had already approved of a 10 paise per km hike in bus fares, which would have ensured the Centre’s target of cut in subsidies to the tune of Rs 200 crore that was already met.
He said the deliberate attempts by the ruling government in Punjab and the SAD portrays an absolute lack of knowledge about economic and financial issues or it could be deliberate lying? “This lie that farmers would be forced to pay Rs 30,000 per month is an attempt to scuttle the real issue of loan waiver and ensure that the state remains a debt-ridden state.
Such arguments can only benefit enemies of the state and the country, who wish that the green bowl of the country should always remain under debt,” he said. Manpreet added that he would announce his next plan of action on November 14 at Amritsar. He appealed to every Punjabi who cared about their state to join him on that day so that they could collectively work on the issues concerning the state.
Former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal questioned the repeated assertions by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on the issue of subsidies.
“Are you lying or are you just plain ignorant?” He asked referring to Sukhbir’s claim that farmers have to pay Rs 30,000 per month in case the loan waiver conditions offered by the Centre are agreed. Farmers would only have to pay Rs 41 per HP per month as power charges and that too only by rich farmers, Manpreet asserted.
“Poor farmers will not have to pay even this amount. Further this amount of Rs 41 per HP will eventually be compensated in the MSP since this would be taken into consideration while fixing the MSP. Farmers would get more MSP since the power tariff is considered a factor in the cost of production,” said Manpreet in a press statement issued here today.
“The deal that I was negotiating with the Union Finance Ministry would have relieved the state of Rs 35,000 crore, which is 50 per cent of the total debt burden of Punjab i.e. Rs 70,000 crore. In return, the state would have to cut subsidies only by Rs 400 crore per year. Is the amount of Rs 400 crore too much to ensure that a debt of Rs 35,000 crore is waived off?” Manpreet asked.
The issue of withdrawal of bus passes subsidy for students is another lie being perpetrated against him, Manpreet said. He said the SAD-BJP combine had already approved of a 10 paise per km hike in bus fares, which would have ensured the Centre’s target of cut in subsidies to the tune of Rs 200 crore that was already met.
He said the deliberate attempts by the ruling government in Punjab and the SAD portrays an absolute lack of knowledge about economic and financial issues or it could be deliberate lying? “This lie that farmers would be forced to pay Rs 30,000 per month is an attempt to scuttle the real issue of loan waiver and ensure that the state remains a debt-ridden state.
Such arguments can only benefit enemies of the state and the country, who wish that the green bowl of the country should always remain under debt,” he said. Manpreet added that he would announce his next plan of action on November 14 at Amritsar. He appealed to every Punjabi who cared about their state to join him on that day so that they could collectively work on the issues concerning the state.
