CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Financial Commissioner (Development) to explore the possibility of establishing a Social Security Commission for the farmers and the landless labourers in the state to enable them to meet their financial exigencies during their old age.
Asks PSPCL to clear the backlog of tubewell connections under general category expeditiously
Work out mechanism for giving compensation to the farmers whose land is wasted for installation of high tension lines
Asks FCD to hold inquiry to get into the bottom of fake distribution of agricultural inputs to the farmer beneficiaries on subsidy
A decision to this effect was taken by Mr. Badal in a meeting with the high level delegation of Bharti Kisan Union led by its President Mr. Balbir Singh Rajewal here at Punjab Bhawan this evening. Taking part in the deliberations, the Chief Minister asked the FCD to examine the Karnataka model in this regard so as to grant financial assistance to the farmers and landless labourers during the evening of their life. He said that it was our bounden duty to help the hapless farmers and landless labourers by extending this facility so that they could spend their lives, especially the phase of old age with self respect and dignity.
Conceding another demand of the delegation, the Chief Minister asked the Principal Secretary Power to immediately clear the case regarding the expenditure to be finalized for the Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) to enable the farmers to enhance their load capacity of the AP connections.
In case the checking staff found some faulty meters giving wrong readings would be immediately changed. The Chairman also assured the members of the delegations that he would personally hold a meeting with them and his senior functionaries of PSPCL to reduce the backlog of the tubewell connections due for release under general category.
The Chief Minister also asked the PSPCL to chalk out some policy for giving adequate compensation to the farmers, whose land was being wasted for the installation of high tension tower lines. The delegation informed Mr. Badal that one to two kanals of their agricultural land was rendered unfit for cultivation due to these tower lines under which they could never plant trees or construct houses. Showing deep concern over the fixing of high collector rates across the state, the delegation demanded these rates to be reviewed immediately. On this issue the FCR informed Mr. Badal that the revenue department had already asked all the Deputy Commissioners to review these rates and submit their report by the end of the current financial year. He also asked the representatives of the delegation to be in touch with the DCs to get these rates rationalized, where they felt these were on higher side.
Acceding to another demand to hold inquiry into the complaints of open sale of seeds, pesticides, fertilizers and agro-chemicals meant for the distribution to the farmers on subsidy in the market instead of giving it to the genuine beneficiaries, Mr. Badal asked the FCD to look into the entire case so that the erring officials involved in this scandal could be brought to be book.
The Chief Minister also desired that to ensure proper distribution of these agricultural inputs to the beneficiaries, the agriculture department should come out with the 24x7 helpline telephone number on which the complainants could register their complaints /grievances in this regard besides getting the lists of beneficiary farmers pasted at strategic points in the villages to arrest this trend of fake disbursement of agricultural inputs. Mr. Badal reiterated his government’s commitment to implement the pro-farmer initiatives in right earnest so that the benefits meant for poor farmers must accrue to them at the ground level without any pilferage or siphoning into wrong hands.