Akali Dal ditched farmers on land bill amendments : Bajwa

CHANDIGARH : Lambasting the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for ditching the farmers on proposed amendments to the land bill from which the Narendra Modi government had now backtracked, the state Congress President Partap Singh Badal described the development as a first major victory for the Congress which had maintained consistent pressure under the aggressive and dynamic leadership of Rahul Gandhi.
Bajwa said it was the UPA II that had adopted the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act in 2013 to protect the interests of the farmers which was also supported by the BJP at that time. However, after coming into power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lost no time in issuing an ordinance to amendment the act to remove all the pro-farmer clauses under pressure from the corporates who had funded the BJP poll campaign.
Bajwa asserted it was the Congress which maintained consistent pressure on the NDA and mobilised the farming community in the entire country. He said it was Rahul Gandhi who vociferously opposed the amendments both inside and outside the Parliament.He pointed out that on the other hand, the Akali Dal preferred not to oppose the anti-farmer bill in the Lok Sabha that thoroughly exposed the party.He accused Mr Badal of neglecting the farmers in the state. He especially referred to the ground situation in a number of villages where people were suffering from fatal diseases but the government had failed to come to their rescue.He said the latest case was that of villages in Sardulgarh area Hepatitis C had spread like epidemic. The two villages which was the most effected were Phoos Mandi and Ahloopur. The cost of treatment was prohibitive but the state government had failed to come to their rescue.He slammed the Badal government for this criminal indifference to the sufferings of the people and demanded immediate financial assistance to the patients.