Oppn tears into govt, says farm crisis man-made

Jaswinder Singh Baidwan

Akhran da mureed
Staff member
The Congress, led by Leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar, charged at the “government of farmers” for its alleged failure to prevent the agrarian crisis in the state. Demanding the resignation of Agriculture Minister Tota Singh, Jakhar said the government had no moral right to continue in power because of its failure to prevent a “man-made crisis in agriculture”.
Officials in pesticide scam
Jakhar took on the government over the pesticide scam and the alleged support to the “corrupt agriculture officials”. Without naming them, he said though these officials had been indicted in the seed-purchase scam a few years ago, the government shielded them.
‘CM spared guilty’
Pointing a finger at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, he said it did not hold good for a CM of his (Badal’s) standing to overlook illegalities by his Director Agriculture, as he was an influential constituent of Lambi (CM’s constituency) and could manage a few votes.
Jakhar alleged the government bought almost all insecticides and pesticides at a much higher rate than the market rate. He gave the names of pesticides like Oberon and Thiomethaxam 25 WG, which had been purchased at inflated rates.
VC’s removal sought
“I am surprised that though the failure of cotton crop, damaged by whitefly is man-made, the Vice-Chancellor of a premier agricultural university has the audacity to say that the farmers were responsible for it,” he said, demanding the removal of PAU VC.
Jakhar even threatened to move court on the issue of buying of 92,000 litres of Oberon pesticide from Bayer Crop Sciences even as “the company was not manufacturing it and was simply marketing it”.
Among others who participated in the debate included Industries Minister Madan Mohan Mittal, who had moved the resolution to discuss the agrarian crisis, Education Minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema and MLA Manoranjan Kalia from the ruling alliance. Rana Gurjit Singh and Ajit Inder Singh Mofar from the Congress also participated.
Soon after arguments began between Congress MLA Kuljit Nagra and Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia, the Congress staged a walk out.
Bains alleges land scam
Independent MLA Simarjit Singh Bains from Ludhiana highlighted the issue of a conglomerate usurping 100 acres of land, after 200 acres were allotted to it for agriculture research at Laddowal near Ludhiana.
Bains had also got a gunny bag to the House and highlighted that it was smaller than the prescribed specification made to siphon paddy. He along with his brother Balwinder Bains raised slogans against the government and walked out.
The CM will now reply to the allegations levelled by them tomorrow. Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal agreed with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal that the CM give his reply when the opposition is in the House.
 
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