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War between Badal cousins, negatively affects Punjab’s Economy
Punjab farmers need a lot of assistance
Needs investment to boost Punjab economy
Chandigarh, Oct, 13, 2010
Ashok Gupta/ Gary Singh, LA
The two cousins- Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Badal and finance minister, Manpreet Badal are at loggerheads over a debt-waiver package offered by the Centre to Punjab, which is being seen more as a battle of egos.
SAD senior leaders, while speaking to TNS:
- Manpreet has gone to the extent of deriding the party chief and Deputy Chief Minister by insinuating that he went to better schools and colleges than the latter
- Sukhbir’s functioning was corporate in style while his was socialist.
- One of the Sad leader said Manpreet must give Sukhbir due respect as party President, not attempt to pull down a leader by muddying his reputation
- All the district presidents of the party had also passed a resolution in this regard.
A. Loan Waiver:
- Sukhbir and Manpreet are at loggerheads over a debt-waiver package offered by the Centre to Punjab, which is being seen more as a battle of egos. Sources said it is Sukhbir who reportedly pushed for a show cause to be slapped on Manpreet
- Manpreet never sat with Sukhbir and on Oct 06, Sad Ministers criticise Manpreet for “failure to uphold collective responsibility”. On Oct. 08, Manpreet meets Punjab CM in PGI, accuses SAD leaders of bullying him, On Oct 09, Disciplinary panel was formed to ask him ‘where is the offer’. Manpreet, after taking up debt-waiver issue in Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Oct. 01, on Tuesday, he rushed to New Delhi to meet the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for debt-waiver issue
- For debt waiver of Rs.35,000 crores, it is said that certain conditions laid by center --included imposition of property tax, reduction in subsidy on power, ban on withdrawl of employees GPF before time and handing over state accounts to Comptroller General of India.
B. Free power to farm sector- Other question is whether free power to farm sector should be withdrawn or not
Manpreet Badal, Punjab finance minister :
He always make argument against the unproductive subsidies that have sapped Punjab’s economic health. This month, he had made statements that the state government should do away with subsidies and freebies like free power to farmers to enable the state to tide over a mounting Rs 65,000-crore debt. He was threatening to expose his own government on the issue of loan waiver offered to Punjab by the Centre.
Manpreet issued a press statement to clarify:
- Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had constituted a committee to discuss the matter of debt on various states, including Punjab.
- As finance minister, he has highlighted the poor fiscal position of Punjab in various meetings and sought total debt waiver for the state.
- As finance minister, representations from Punjab, the Union finance minister has offered to take care of half the debt of Punjab to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore-if the state adhered to some of the negotiations
· He has urged Kalia to think in the interest of Punjab and help him.
Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today alleged:
- Now both- Parkash Singh Badal, the Chief Minister and Manpreet, the Finance Minister are telling lies ·
- The two had misled the State Assembly
- In the recently-concluded session of the Legislative Assembly, the Finance Minister had talked about loan waiver package by the Centre
- The package puts some pre-conditions for waiving the loan. The Chief Minister has endorsed it on the floor of the House and now there is a fight among the Akalis on the issue
- Now SAD like to come clean on the issue--It is pathetic the bureaucracy was asked to let down the Finance Minister by making a statement that there was no such loan waiver proposal from the Centre
- Why the Chief Minister had endorsed the Finance Minister's statement on the floor of the House
- o They have lowered the dignity of the House which has affected the essence of democracy· Punjab's fiscal situation as "pathetic", the overall debt of the state was to the tune of Rs 1,55,000 crore including PSUs guarantee of Rs 65,889 crore.· The SAD government must clarify the state's fiscal position, otherwise both Badal and Manpreet should quit
This amounted to contempt of the House and the Congress party would press for possible action against them under the Constitution.
If Manpreet had given wrong information of proposed debt waiver, then he must face stringent action, Amarinder said.
"If the government has some papers pertaining to loan waiver proposal, then it should come out with these. If this is not the case, they why the Chief Minister had endorsed the Finance Minister's statement on the floor of the House," he said.
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SAD Secretary Daljit Singh Cheema said, the party has accepted the recommendation of suspension made earlier in the day by the 5-member Disciplinary Action Committee headed by senior minister Ranjit Singh Brahampura including SS Dhindsa, Tota Singh, Balwinder Singh Bhundur and Gurdev Badal. They asked Manpreet to appear before the party in person on October 20 at the party office to explain his conduct:
- Served a show-cause notice- “anti-party” activities and for speaking out against the Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal
We just got a report that Independent MLA from Chamkaur Sahib, Charanjit Singh Channi support Manpreet Singh Badal and seeks special Assembly session to debate debt waiver by sending letter to Punjab Assembly Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon, copies to the CM and Governor Shivraj Patil.
Parkash Singh Badal is recovering at the PGI from a fall at his residence and some sad leaders are expecting Manpreet should now resign from the ministry on “moral grounds
According to sources, Majinder Singh Kang, Charanjit Singh Channy, Jasbir Singh Brar and Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon visited Manpreet's residence on Monday. |
