FLAYS OPPOSITION OVER FLASE PROPAGANDA IN HOOCH TRAGEDY, CALLS IT BID TO TAKE POLITICAL MILEAGE
Chandigarh, August 14
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday announced a month-long drive to check the sale of adulterated pesticides and fertilizers etc.
He made the announcement in response to a farmer’s complaint on #AskCaptain. Jaswinder Brar Kotsukhia said farmers were being looted as duplicated manure was being sold by unscruplous elements.
The Chief Minister said he had received a similar complaint last week too, and had hence decided to launch a one-month drive of check the sale of adulterated pesticides/fertilizers etc in the state.
He also requested all farmers to insist on a bill whenever they buy pesticides or fertilizers as the bill is very helpful in taking action against any dealer who has sold inferior products.
In response to a Bathinda resident’s question regarding opposition dharnas across Punjab over allegations of involvement of Congress MLAs in the illicit liquor business, the Chief Minister said he had repeatedly made it clear that noone, big or small, will be spared but the opposition parties were trying to take political mileage from the hooch tragedy. The opposition parties have nothing better to do, they try to mislead the people with lies, he said, urging people not to get carried away by their false propaganda. ÒHow can they (SAD and others) say no action is being taken?Ó he asked, adding that scores of people involved in the case had been arrested.
On a Tarn Taran resident’s comment that he was ready to consume poison so that his family could get Rs 5 lakhs and a permanent job as he could not support his family with his salary as contract employee of rural pharmany, the Chief Minister said it was absolutely wrong to talk like this. Pointing out that Rs 5 lakh won’t last forever, he said a cabinet sub-committee was looking into ways and means to regularise contractual employees in the state.
The Chief Minister assured a Hoshiarpur youth that college students will also get smart phones as per the eligibility criteria announced in the election manifesto.
To a question regarding reopening of skill centres, he said he will take up the issue with the central government as the decision lies with them in view of the Central Disaster Act being in place.
The Chief Minister also said he will take up the issue of abandoned Punjabis stranded in Lebanon with the Government of India.
On a complaint of no potable water supply for three months in village Alawalpur, Gurdaspur, Captain Amarinder directed the concerned officials to look into the matter and address the problem.
On a request by Ludhiana residents for a message for a song `Apna Karwan’, created by people of the area from various social, cultural and creative fields to honour our army veterans, the Chief Minister said the life of Army personnel was very tough as they serve the nation in extreme temperatures – from -40 degrees C in Siachen to 50 degrees C in the desert. The Indian army is different from Chinese and those joining the forces in India do it from their heart, he said, thanking the Ludhiana residents for their effort.
The Chief Minister also addressed several personal/local issues, including appointment, bank loan, sewerage, waterlogging etc, put up before him by residents from various parts of the state.
