Farmers resorting to distress sale of paddy

The PPCC chief said that of the total cases of 124 suicides by farmers collected by the Kisan Cell of the Congress, 72 were reported from the Sangrur district alone even though it was the district with the highest yield of foodgrains in the state.

He expressed surprise how Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was sitting quiet despite the fifth successive crop destruction because of the floods in several villages of Sangrur district which bore the brunt of the Ghaggar. He said that of the Rs 72 lakh sanctioned for a regulator at the Khanewal drain, which had been affecting 28 villages, not a penny had been spent on this project so far.

Capt Amarinder Singh made a blistering attack on Badal who, he said, had been diverting all funds sanctioned for execution of drainage works in different parts of the state to Gidderbaha and Malout to further the political interests of his son. No money had been spent on flood control in the areas affected by the floods in the Ghaggar and the Ravi.

Capt Amarinder Singh demanded that the Punjab Government should order a special girdawari of the flood affected areas in the state and said that the government should order payment of cent per cent compensation where there had been a total destruction of crop because of floods. He said that the government should also announce a definite time frame for the completion of the special girdwari of the flood hit areas.

A large number of Akali Dal leaders including several senior functionaries of the Sangrur district Youth Akali Dal announced their decision to join the Congress. Among those who joined the Congress were Gurdial Singh Chatha, district Youth Akali Dal chief, Arvind Khanna and Amandeep Singh Mansahia, both of whom were said to be close lieutenants of Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.