हिंदी
Bathinda, October 24
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab has termed the special task force set up by Punjab government to curb the inflow of paddy from other states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for sale of paddy in Punjab mandis, saying that the ruling Congress top leaders, MLAs and ministers were involved in the dubious deal, demanding resignation of Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
Senior party leader and MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Saturday alleged that an inter-state market mafia involving top Congress leaders, MLAs and ministers of Punjab government in running the illegal trade in a well organized manner, as in the case of liquor and sand mafia which enjoyed political patronage. Sandhwan claimed that the WhatsApp chat between those behind the deal and the district manager of PUNSUP (Patiala) had confirmed with evidence that part of the alleged ‘loot’ by Congress ministers like Bharat Bhushan Ashu was flowing on to the top leadership in Delhi.
Kultar Singh Sandhwan on the occasion said. “Almost half of the season has passed, but the government in the saddle has yet to note the open ‘loot’ of the farmers by the mafia active in the state. The hefty commissions it (the government) allegedly receives from the mafia has put a veil on its eyes which is no action is being taken by the government. Now when the farmers started checking the menace on their own and intercepting illegal inflow of paddy, the government started enacting dramas by setting up sham district level task forces” he said.
The AAP leader said that it was unfortunate that due to the incompetence and mismanagement of the Central and State Governments ruling the roost for longer spans, that farmers of UP-Bihar were being subjected to exploitation by the middlemen, in cahoots with the ruling party leaders, adding that half paddy procured at half the price from UP-Bihar, and was sold in Punjab mandis at MSP, harming the interests of Punjab farmers. Sandhwan said that if the Cash Credit Limit (CCL) extended to farmers for the procurement of paddy would go owing to presence of the mafia, where would the hapless farmers go.”
Sandhwan demanded that the Chief Minister Amarinder Singh should immediately dismiss Bharat Bhushan Ashu and order a CBI inquiry under the supervision of the High Court, to bring those behind the dubious deal, no matter how powerful he or she might be.
