Allow free purchase of
wheat in Punjab: Give wheat bonus of Rs 400 p.q.
Sukhbir writes to PM
Chandigarh April 3, 2008
Member of Parliament and Shiromani Akali Dal President Mr. Sukhbir
Singh Badal today asked the Union Government to immediately announce
a bonus of Rs. 400 per quintal on wheat and to lift the ban imposed
on private traders for purchasing crop from the Punjab farmers.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh today,
the SAD president said that there was no rationale behind Government
refusing this bonus to the farmers while the country was importing
wheat at a price ranging between Rs.1600 and Rs. 1700 per quintal.
Reiterating his party's earlier demand for raising the Minimum
Support Price of wheat to a minimum of Rs. 1500 per quintal, Mr.
Badal said that this had become necessary in view of the steep
increase in the prices of agricultural inputs. He said that this
was the way not only to save the farm sector from deep crisis
but also to ensure food security in view of the grave shortages
of food grain in the global market. "Encouraging domestic
production rather than going in for huge and expensive imports
is the way out of the present mess created by the old and ill-advised
approach of the policy makers on the issue," said the SAD
chief. He held the Union government's pricing policy chiefly responsible
for the burgeoning farm crisis in the country and said that it
was amazing that the centre was willing to pay exorbitant rates
to farmers from other countries for import of wheat while denying
the same to our own. This, he said, was also the main reason for
the menace of farm indebtedness which had been plaguing the country,
resulting in the phenomenon of farmers' suicides.
The Akali leader came down heavily against the centre's decision
not to allow private traders to enter the Punjab markets for procurement
of wheat and said that this decision was aimed at denying the
peasantry of the state their natural right to sell their produce
in an open and competitive market. Describing the centre's decision
as "totally arbitrary and anti-farmer", Mr. Badal said
that it was hard to see how this decision could be justified in
a country that advocated liberal and free economy. "It is
doubly unreasonably and unfair as it comes at a time when the
government itself was denying legitimate and remunerative prices
to farmers for their produce. Why should the farmers be forced
to sell their produce at a price lower than they can get in the
private market?" He said that the government was unable to
control inflation on all other fronts and wanted to punish the
already beleaguered farmers while doing nothing to control the
prices of agricultural inputs.
Mr. Badal demanded that the prices of agricultural produce, especially
food grain, should either be linked to the international prices
or be determined according to the recommendations of Dr. Swaminathan
under which the farmers must be paid the total cumulative cost
of production plus fifty percent of the same. He said that the
centre had repeatedly turned a deaf ear even to the legitimate
demand for linking MSP with the overall consumer price index and
this had resulted in the wide gap between the market realities
and the government's policies on agriculture.
HEALTH MINISTER GREETS INDIANS ON THE NEW YEAR ACCORDING TO HINDU
CALANDER
Chandigarh. April 4, 2008
Prof. Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, Health and Family Welfare Minister
Punjab today extended her greetings and best wishes to the Indians
particularly Punjabis on the occasion of the New Year in the traditional
Hindu calendars followed in North India –on Chaitra Shukala
Pratipadha Nav Samvat 2065 begins on April 6. Extending her good
wishes she made a fervent appeal to all the Indians to celebrate
the event with enthusiasm and spread the message of good will
amongst all. She also said that let it be the year of triumph
and victory over the divisive forces. The traditional Hindu calendar,
she said is symbolic of true Indian values and ethos. She however
said that Western way of celebrating the New Year even after attaining
freedom long ago shows a mindset which should have changed with
the attainment of independence.
ORDINANCE ON PUNJABI LANGUAGE TO BE MADE PUNITIVE- UPINDERJIT
KUAR
Chandigarh, April 3, 2008
To make punitive portion of proposed ordinance on Punjabi language
implementation in the state legally water tight act the Punjab
Government will seek the legal opinion of Advocate General, Legal
Remembrance and other legal luminaries.
Discussing the proposed draft of ordinance to amend the Punjabi
Language Act in the meeting of Punjabi Consultative Committee,
Dr. Upinderjit Kuar, Education and Languages Minister Punjab asked
the Secretary Education to get the draft ready within seven days
for its early implementation.
The meeting focused in making Punjabi language user friendly
and flexible adaptable to changing needs of modern society, the
Minister suggested that Punjabi language should adopt day to day
words of English words and focus should be to make the language
IT enabled.
Describing this ordinance as a major challange for SAD-BJP Govt.
under the leadership of S.s Parkash Singh Badal Chief Minister
Punjab the Minister said that our future generations would be
indebted to Mr. Badal for this historic and bold step.
The Minister asked the Language department to convene a meeting
with Punjabi University Patiala and IT department to finalize
the proposal for Punjabipedia and for launching Punjabi browser.
The university was asked to indicate the time frame for its implementation.
The Minister would also constitute a legal committee that would
study the implementation of Punjabi language in court work in
the State.
The proposed draft of ordinance is slated to be finanlized in
the next meeting of Punjabi Consultative Committee scheduled on
10th April. Among others Mr. K.B.S.Sidhu, Secretary Education,
Mrs. Anjali Bhawra Secretary Higher Education, Mrs. Balbir Kaur
Director Languages Department, Mr. Jaswant Singh Kanwal, Dr. Jaspal
Singh Vice Chancellor Punjabi University Patiala, Mr. Baljit Balli
Ajit, Dr. Satinder Singh, Mr. Gulzar Singh Sandhu, Mr. Sidhu Damdami
Punjabi Tribune were also present in the meeting.
CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO EDUCATE FARMERS-LANGAH
Chandigarh, April 3, 2008
: Keeping in view to impart technical know-how to farmers of
the state, Special campaign has been launched by Agriculture Department
Punjab, under which Training Camps at district level were being
organised at district level in first phase and after this camps
would be organised at Block and village Levels in the second phase.
Disclosing this here today, Mr. Sucha Singh Langah, Agriculture
Minister Punjab said farmers would be educated regarding diversification
and how to redress the problem of marketing. Besides this farming
community would be trained for timely plantation of Paddy, use
of fertilizers and pesticides judiciously.
Mr. Langah further said that farmers would also be motivated
to adopt Agro Forestry and vermin compost. One camp in each district
would be organised to make this campaign successful.
'East India Company policies'
of UPA Government pushing up inflation- Tikshan Sud
Chandigarh, April 3, 2008
:Senior BJP leader and Punjab's Medical Education Minister Mr.
Tikshan Sud today charged UPA Government for adopting the policies
of erstwhile East India Company that was pushing up inflation
in the Country and robbing the pocket of ordinary consumers.
In a statement issued here today, Mr. Sud said that rootless
leaders bereft of any knowledge of ground level reality were ruling
country and pushing the economy in to debt trap. He said that
it was ironical repeat of policies of East India Company i e encouraging
export of natural ores and raw farm products at lower rates to
Western Countries and importing the finished product at much higher
rates. He said that these self-defeating policies of Union Government
were pushing up inflation in the country besides ruining the domestic
small and medium industry. He said that UPA Government was pressuring
the ore rich states to lease out mines of ores to western countries
forcing the small and medium industry to import finished steel
from them at exorbitant rates. Similarly farmers were suffering
because of steep rise in the prices of farm inputs where as MSP
raise was just meager pushing them in debt trap.
Mr. Sud said that cosmetic steps like farm loan waiver would
only benefit defaulters where as honest borrowers would suffer
a double whammy and would be punished for their honesty.
The BJP leader said that the Left parties were doing lip service
by warning the government but not withdrawing the support as they
were sharing the spoils of government without any responsibility.
Mr. Sud said that NDA government under the leadership Mr. Atal
Behari Vajpayee kept the price line under control though out five
years by keeping strict watch on hoarders. He said that it was
paradoxical that Union Agriculture Minister was encouraging speculation
and hoarding of farm products by supporting their future trade.
The BJP leader said that UPA Chairperson and her Yuvraj who
are on tourist Visa in this Country, are out to destroy the self-reliance
of indian economy and pushing India in the trap of multinational
companies, that our freedom fighters struggled for centuries to
break.
Mr. Sud said that ensuing Karnataka elections would expose the
hollowness of farm loan waiver scheme and also reflect the anger
of electorate on price rise issue, as BJP was out to sweep the
elections routing Congress from the electoral scene.
BADAL EXHORTS PEOPLE TO FOLLOW THE TEACHINGS OF SAINTS AND SEERS
Chandigarh APRIL 2, 2008
Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today called upon
the people to follow the footsteps of the saints and seer because
their teachings were universally accepted and could not be restricted
to any particular religion, faith or sect.
Addressing a mammoth gathering at Rama Mandi (Bathinda) on the
first barsi of Sadvi Tapacharya Hem Kunwar ji Maharaj of Jain
sect after laying the foundation stone on the Hem Tirath Memorial,
Mr.Badal said that saints always preached the gospels of love,
compassion and universal brotherhood for the welfare of the mankind
and it is our pious duty to tread on the path shown by them with
dedication and devotion. On the occasion, the Chief Minister conferred
the title of 'Tapadhish Naika' on Sadvi Tapacharya Hem Kunwar
ji Maharaj and 'Upp Parvartni' on Dr.Ravi Risham ji Maharaj.
The Chief Minister mentioned that SAD-BJP government was fully
committed for the development of Rama Mandi and the mega projects
including Rs.16000 crore Bathinda Refinery and a thermal plant
likely to be set up in the vicinity of Talwandi Sabo would certainly
boost the prospects of prosperity and progress in the region.
Mr. Badal also informed that education was an other concerned
sector for the government about which many landmark decisions
had been taken by the state government that included the up-gradation
and modernization of University campus at Talwandi Sabo at a cost
of Rs.20 crore, likewise to facilitate our young players Talwandi
Sabo would be developed as a Sports Hub by setting up a state-of-the-art
Sports Academy with an ultra modern Hockey Stadium and a Youth
Hostel. He said that a Cultural & Religious Center at a cost
of Rs. 5 crore would also be set up at Talwandi Sabo.
On this occasion the Chief Minister announced a grant of Rs.15
lac from his discretionary fund for the strengthening of road
network in the town Rama Mandi, likewise a grant of Rs.5 lac each
was also announced by the member Parliament from Bathinda Paramjit
Kaur Gulshan and Local Government Minister Manoranjan Kalia. Besides,
the Chief Minister also announced a grant of Rs. 3 lac for the
construction of cremation ground and Rs.10 lac for starting the
computer courses at local Jain Girls College. He also promised
to take up the matter of affiliation of this college with the
Punjabi University Patiala.
On the request of the management of the college, the Local Government
Minister Manoranjan Kalia agreed to slash the price of lease to
Rs.100 per annum.
Prominent amongst those who were present on this occasion included
Member Parliament Mrs. Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, Senior Akali leader
and former Minister S. Sikander Singh Maluka, S. Amarjit Singh
Sidhu, S. Darshan Singh Kotfatta, B.J.P leaders Kamal Sharma and
Dyal Singh Sodhi along with many other SAD-BJP Leaders and workers.
