Farmers Movement Archive

Team Sidhu meets Capt, lists five demands for early action

Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu and four working presidents, who met chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday, demanded immediate action in sacrilege and police firing cases, arrest of “big fish” behind drug trafficking and rejection of three farm laws. These were among the five “priority areas”, which also included cancellation of “faulty” power purchase agreements and opening of doors for discussions with 20 protesting unions, listed by Sidhu and his team for immediate action in a letter handed over by the newly appointed state office-bearers of Punjab Congress to Amarinder at their first formal meeting. The government must act immediately upon these issues identified from amongst the 18-point agenda after multiple deliberations and consultations with party workers across Punjab to understand the public sentiment, read the one-page letter signed by Sidhu and working presidents Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Kuljit Nagra and Pawan Goel. The meeting, held at the chief minister’s office in Punjab Civil Secretariat, lasted close to one-and-a-half hours. Amarinder told Sidhu and others that all the key issues of concern raised by them are already in advanced stages of resolution, and that his government had been working on them in close coordination with the party. “The government has already implemented most of the promises made to the people in the party’s 2017 election manifesto. The other pending issues are also being resolved. The government is committed to the implementation of all the poll promises,” he told the newly constituted state Congress leadership. The chief minister also stressed the need to work closely together in the interest of the party and the state and its people. “The party leaders and workers need to take the pro-people decisions and actions of the government to the ground so that the people of Punjab could be made aware of all the excellent work done in the past four-plus years of the Congress government in the state,” he said, offering to meet the PPCC leaders on regular basis for better coordination. The new state Congress leadership, named by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on July 18 and took charge on July 23, called on the chief minister after Sidhu took time from him. In the letter, they said that Punjab needs a stern, decisive, inclusive and compassionate leadership more than ever before to fulfil the genuine demands of every Punjabi. “Punjab Congress workers stand firm in their resolve with our esteemed high command’s 18-point agenda,” they wrote, calling it their “guidebook” to deliver justice to every Punjabi. The 18-point to-do list, based on the feedback given by Capt’s detractors and others, was handed by the central leadership to the chief minister for implementation before next year’s state polls. PRIORITY POINTS Punish the main culprits behind sacrilege and police firing incidents at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan Arrest and give exemplary punishment to “big fish” behind drug trafficking mentioned in STF report Reject the Centre’s three farm laws completely. As in case of SYL, stern resolve needed from the Vidhan Sabha Cancel the “faulty” power purchase agreements (PPAs) without any further loss to the state exchequer Open the doors for discussions with more than 20 unions protesting across the state

Hindustan Times

28-07-2021

Chandigarh