Cong hails CM for stand against Centres farm laws
- March 03, 2021
- Updated: 12:59 am
DW BUREAU / chandigarh
The Opposition in Punjab on Tuesday took on the Congress-led government for allegedly "failing" in honouring its poll promises while the ruling party members hailed Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for taking a stand against the Centre's new farm laws. Participating in the discussion on Governor's address on the second day of the Budget Session of the Punjab Assembly, members of the treasury and opposition benches even sparred during the debate. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislator Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra slammed the Congress-led regime, accusing it of not fulfilling its poll promises made to the people. He alleged that the state government "failed" to keep its promises including giving jobs to an individual in each household, eliminating drug menace within four weeks of coming to power, providing unemployment allowance etc. During the debate, AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan said the state government had promised to waive Rs 500 crore debt of farm labourers and give jobs to youngsters but nothing has been done.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said there was no mention of the Pay Commission report in the Governor's address. There was no mention of pending dearness allowance of employees and old pension scheme, he said, adding that the promise of making contractual employees permanent was still not honoured.Earlier, Congress legislator Raj Kumar Verka hailed the steps taken by the state government to check the spread of the COVID-pandemic. "Free ration and food was provided to the needy during the COVID-19 lockdown by the state government," he said. When the Congress-led government was working for the welfare of people, some opposition political parties were trying to "weaken" the state government, he alleged. He praised Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for standing against the "black" farm legislations which he said have been rejected by people. Another Congress legislator Harminder Singh Gill also showered praises on the chief minister saying, he stood against the "black laws from day one." Amarinder Singh called the special session in which these laws were not only rejected but amendment bills were also brought to "counter" these legislations, Gill said.He, however, said the governor has not forwarded the amendment bills to the President for his assent.
Meanwhile, Lok Insaf Party legislator Balwinder Singh Bains urged all members of the House to bring a resolution over the issue of amendment bills not being sent to the president by the governor. A heated exchange also took place between Congress MLA Harminder Gill and SAD legislator Bikram Singh Majithia as they indulged in personal attacks. Gill demanded that the elections of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee should be held at the earliest. Congress legislator Kuljit Singh Nagra termed the agri laws as "death warrants" for farmers and attacked the Akalis for initially supporting the ordinances. Nagra said that he had resigned as MLA when the farm bills were passed in Parliament last year. "I want to say that my resignation be accepted," he said. Congress' Fatehgarh Sahib MLA Nagra in September last year had said that he had resigned as a legislator in protest against the passage of agriculture-related bills in the Lok Sabha. Nagra also lodged his protest over the amendment bills not being sent to the president. Later, when SAD MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu engaged in a verbal duel with Congress members, Parliamentary Affairs Minister.
(editor@dailyworld.in)