Committed to protecting interest of farmers: Punjab minister
Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Jul, 2022 05:31 PM
Chandigarh, July 18 (IANS) The Punjab government is committed to the welfare of the farming community of the state and would leave no stone unturned to protect their interests, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said on Monday.
Presiding over a meeting here with representatives of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Doaba) and the Sandhar Sugar Mill of Phagwara, the minister categorically directed the officers concerned to ensure that of the Rs 72 crore payment due (since the last three years) towards the farmers, Rs 22 crore must be realized soon and credited into the accounts of farmers by selling the property of the mill at Bhuna in Haryana.
The minister ordered an audit of the mill to be conducted by looking into all aspects in a thorough manner.
"Corruption would not be tolerated at any cost," said the minister, who also directed the officers of the department to issue a notice to the mill management to pay the remaining amount of Rs 50 crore, otherwise the mill would have to close operations by November.
A gofundme has raised US$70,000 for the victim family. The bodies of the four family members – who have been identified after autopsies as Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben Patel, 37, daughter Vihangi Patel, 11, and son Dharmik Patel, 3 – are currently lying in a morgue in Winnipeg.
Senior advocate and Additional Solicitor General Rupinder Singh Suri passed away, sources said here on Monday. According to reports, he was battling Covid-related complications for over a week. He is survived by his wife Gurvinder and advocate daughters Suruchi and Simar.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana told the Punjab government counsel to advise his government to refrain from launching criminal cases against the political opponents, just before the election. The top court directed Majithia to surrender on February 24 before the trial court and seek regular bail.
The chief minister further said that from Monday onwards, they have started recouping farmers' loss. "By providing them with a financial assistance of Rs 20,000 per acre, Delhi is paying the highest compensation amount across the nation," he tweeted, adding that they have handed over cheques amounting to Rs 2.5 lakh or 3 lakh.
Addressing PLC workers after filing his nomination papers from Patiala Urban, the former chief minister trashed Charanjit Channi's tall claims of delivering on the Congress promises in 111 days, pointing out that everything that he was claiming as his personal achievement "was accomplished by my government, including creation of jobs, and action social welfare schemes.
Five-time Punjab Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patron Parkash Singh Badal on Monday filed his nomination for the upcoming assembly elections from Lambi constituency in Punjab's Muktsar district. He is the oldest candidate at 94 for the February 20 polls to the 117-member legislative Assembly.
