Farmers Movement Archive

Sidhu meets Jalandhar leaders; welcomes CM’s move on PPAs

Jalandhar With Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh announcing that the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) will be revisited or cancelled, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu said the 18-point agenda of the Congress high command was now being implemented in the state.The Congress high command has prepared this agenda, after hearing grievances of MLAs. Some of the key issues that appear on the document are justice in desecration cases, power tariff, drugs and red tape.Sidhu, who was in Jalandhar on Thursday, to hold one-on-one meetings with groups of workers from every assembly constituency, said, “Of the high command’s 18 points, I have picked up five issues, keeping my ear to the ground. These are justice in sacrilege and firing cases; tackling the drug menace; revocation of the three farm laws; cancellation of the PPAs and resolving issues of protesting employees to the unemployed.” “I am happy that there is some movement towards implementation of these five points,” Sidhu, who is an MLA from Amritsar East, said. Sidhu termed the three farm laws as unconstitutional and an attack on federalism. “We have to resolve and tackle this issue of the three farm bills in our own Vidhan Sabha as well. We have to exhibit similar guts as we mustered on the issue of the SYL (Satluj Yamuna Link) canal.” Sidhu added that Punjab gives power subsidy of ₹10,000 crore, the highest in the country, to its farmers; Delhi, on the other hand, gives only ₹1,700 crore. “We also provide power at cheaper rates to our industries and commercial sector, than Delhi,” he claimed. Sidhu also attacked Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and former Akali minister, Bikram Singh Majithia for not tipping the drug menace in the bud. On his priorities as the Punjab Congress chief, he said, “My duty to build the reputation of government among the people.” Congress state working president and Urmar MLA Sangat Singh Gilzian; Congress MLAs of Jalandhar district including Pargat Singh, Sushil Kumar Rinku, Rajinder Beri, Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia, Bawa Henry, Chaudhary Surinder Singh were present during his visit.Three Kapurthala MLAs give the meeting a miss Of four MLAs from Kapurthala, Navtej Singh Cheema from Sultanpur Lodhi; Rana Gurjit Singh from Kapurthala and Sukhpal Singh Khaira from Bholath, gave the meeting a miss. Sources said Cheema was in Delhi; Rana Gurjit was in Chandigarh and claimed he got information on Sidhu’s visit a bit late. Phagwara Congress MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal attended the meeting besides another group from Phagwara of former minister Joginder Singh Mann. A group from Bholath constituency led by Gora Gill, a rival of Khaira, also met Sidhu.To meet SC MLAs in Chandigarh todaySidhu and the four working presidents will hold a meeting with Scheduled Caste (SC) MLAs on Friday at the party office in Chandigarh to discuss their issues. The top five leaders will also have a separate meeting with another group of legislators from select districts. On Monday, the new team had met heads of frontal organisations and cells of the state unit.

Hindustan Times

30-07-2021

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