Farmers Movement Archive

Captain blames Centre for Punjab’s power crisis

Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday blamed the Centre for failing to resolve the power crisis resulting from farmers’ agitation due to the ‘arrogant and callous’ attitude towards the farm leaders at the Delhi meeting, while urging the farmers to ease their ‘rail roko’ agitation to allow the transportation of critical essentials. He said while three of his cabinet colleagues were in discussion with the farmer unions to persuade them to lift the rail blockade, which had led to serious coal shortage in the state, it was the duty of the Union government to engage with them. Pointing out that two power units at Lehra Mohabat and a unit of GVK in Tarn Taran had already shut down, Amarinder, while responding to a question from a Bathinda resident during his Facebook Live session, said the state was staring at a massive power shortage. He said Punjab was also facing critical shortage of urea and needed to urgently move foodgrain from godowns as well. “There is a suggestion that the state should purchase power from the central grid, but where is the money?” he said. The CM said his government will do everything to save the farmers and their future. The government is consulting topmost lawyers to find a way to fight the black farm laws, he said, while refusing to comment on the contours of the Bill proposed to be presented in the special assembly session as the process of consultation was still on. He also termed the Centre’s withdrawal from the SC Post-Matric Scholarship scheme as a “retrograde step”. In response to a question from a Batala resident, who said he wanted to visit Kartarpur, Amarinder said they had already written to the Centre that Punjab had no objections. Now, the decision rests with the Centre, he added.

Hindustan Times

16-10-2020

Chandigarh