Punjab contributes maximum production of Wheat and Paddy across India despite acute power and labour shortage across state and adverse climatic conditions. Despite being the highest producer of Wheat and Paddy per hectare, the profits of the hard working Punjab farmer are getting diminutive. Reason, increased input costs, farmer today is bearing an additional daily brunt of Diesel to pump water from its  Tubewells which is equivalent to Monthly Power subsidy given by the Punjab Government. Senior BJP Leader and Punjab State Chief of BJP Investor Cell, Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal brought to the notice of Punjab State BJP President, Professor Rajinder Bhandari the sorry state of Punjab Farmer and demanded that Government should establish means to provide 24 hrs Power Supply as promised in its manifesto as its 3 years deadline is about to complete in February, 2010.

Talking with Farmers and media persons at his Office at Bhamian Kalan Grewal added that farmers of Punjab are not vagabonds which survive on “sarkari alms” and they had enough of this “freewala culture”. So, the need of the hour is that Government should abolish all subsidies and arrange to provide 24 hours power supply at a cost. Grewal aggrieved that when Punjab tops the overall country’s production of Wheat and Paddy then Punjab Government should apply pressure upon Centre Government for equivalent hike in Minimum Support Price considering the increased input cost of our farmers.

Grewal demanded that considering the acute power shortage Punjab Government should decrease its Distribution and Transmission losses, ban misuse of electricity in Malls, Hoardings, Showrooms, Marriage Palaces and penalise those found guilty. He said Punjab Government should look for the reasons as to why the Power Projects which were to get operational by now have failed to commission even. He further stated that considering the “Global Recession” Punjab Government should sympathise with the Industrialists and Traders of Punjab and arrange to provide adequate power supply.  Grewal wondered that when BJP led Government of Gujarat had already set an example by providing 24 hours Power and Water Supply even in remote villages and at nominal cost then young and dynamic leadership of SAD-BJP combine should take proactive decisions to improve the Power condition of Punjab.

Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal
Punjab State Chief BJP Investor Cell
Hand Phone:  +91  9814000337
Website:    www.bjpindia.in
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