Punjab farmers will get free power till I am in power: CM – The Indian Express

By: Express News Service | Chandigarh | Published: May 31, 2020 2:13:58 am Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh

Rejecting allegations of withdrawal of free power to Punjabs farmers, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday said his government is ready to forego the portion of fiscal deficit enhancement offered by the Centre but would not compromise with the farmers interest at any cost.

Dismissing the Centres suggestion on replacement of free power to farmers with DBT as totally unacceptable and a direct attack on the federal structure of the nation, the Chief Minister said he will take up the issue with the Centre for trying to impose such an anti-farmer condition on the cash-strapped state in the guise of extending fiscal support amid the Covid pandemic.

Amarinders statement came a few days after his Cabinet cleared the proposal of Centre to enhance the borrowing limit if state forgoes free power to farmers in the state. The Opposition then took on the government and Amarinder announced on Friday that free power would continue.

Asserting that the free power facility for farmers would continue till his government is in power, Amarinder said his government will take loans to bridge the fiscal deficit, and the Government of India cannot dictate the terms of a sovereign loan being taken by a state government.

Amarinder also lashed out at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal for trying to pin the blame for the Central governments misdemeanors on the state government, which had unwaveringly been providing free power to farmers since taking over in March 2017, despite the massive fiscal crunch it had inherited from the erstwhile Akali-BJP regime.

The Chief Minister asked Sukhbir to immediately quit the ruling NDA at the Centre, and demanded Union Minister and Akali leader Harsimrat Kaur Badals resignation from the Union Cabinet, pointing out that it was the Government of India that took the decision directing the states to withdraw the free power, and also failed to come to the rescue of the state, and any section of its people, in the wake of the unprecedented Covid crisis and lockdown.

Terming their allegations malicious and mischievous, and totally unsubstantiated, Amarinder hit out at the SAD leadership for not fighting for the rights of Punjab and its people, including farmers, at the Centre or in Parliament, and resorting, instead, to petty and shameless politicking even on such a grave issue of national concern.

If you have even an iota of shame, you should leave the NDA coalition, of which you are a part, immediately, and join my government in working for the people of the state, the Chief Minister said, criticising Sukhbir and Harsimrat over their pathetic attempts to mislead the people of Punjab with their patent double standards, blatant falsehoods and unfounded allegations.

Amarinder clarified that the state Cabinet had, in its last meeting, given an in-principle approval to undertaking certain reforms to become eligible to avail additional borrowing of 1.5% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) amid COVID-19, as mandated by the Government of India. While allowing an enhancement of fiscal deficit of states under FRBM Act from 3% to 5%, the Government of India had linked a portion of the same to certain administrative reforms.

It is for the BJP and its alliance partner SAD to explain why there is an attempt to force such a condition on Punjab, he said.

Earlier, during the day Panchayats and Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa also came up to defend his government on the issue. Showing the Centres letter asking state to do away with subsidy, Bajwa asked Harsimrat to resign from Modis Cabinet or get the state an unconditional enhancement of borrowing limit.

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Punjab farmers will get free power till I am in power: CM - The Indian Express