CHANDIGARH: There seems to be no end to the tale of unease between Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, with the Central leadership trying hard to resolve the tiff.
A day after Amarinder criticised Sidhu’s advisers on their remarks on Kashmir and Pakistan, the state party chief attacked his own government and sought better rates for sugarcane farmers.
Talks between farmers and the Punjab government remained inconclusive on Sunday and Monday as no agreement could be reached on the cost of production for sugarcane.
Blockade of highways and railway tracks continues. The farmers will meet Amarinder on Tuesday to determine the final SAP.
They met state officials over the issue on Monday.
“Sugarcane farmer issue needs to be immediately resolved... Strange that despite the higher cost of cultivation in Punjab the state assured price is too low as compared to Haryana/UP/Uttarakhand. As torchbearer of agriculture, the Punjab SAP should be better,” tweeted Sidhu.
On the other hand, Sidhu summoned his advisers Malwinder Singh Mali and Pyare Lal Garg to his residence in Patiala to discuss their recent comments on Pakistan and Kashmir.
Punjab Congress working president Kuljit Nagra refused to comment on the issue. Garg said the comments were ‘personal’ comments and not of the party. Mali said whatever he had to say, he already has on social media.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa also demanded an increase in cane prices and release of pending dues.
He said Rs 117.60 crore is still pending for the year 2020-21.
"This amount is due to the cane growers as on 18.8.2021. This amount is huge for the struggling cane farmers of Punjab," he said in a letter to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
"I request you to kindly issue orders to release the remaining payments so as to ensure all dues are paid for the 2020-21 season," said the Rajya Sabha MP.
MP from Anandpur Sahib, Manish Tewari has urged the party to introspect whether those who do not consider Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India and have pro-Pakistan leanings should be part of Punjab Congress.
“I urge Harish Rawat, AICC Gen Secy in-charge Punjab to seriously introspect that those who do not consider J&K to be a part of India and others who have ostensibly Pro-Pakistan leanings should be a part of Punjab Congress,’’ he tweeted.
AICC General Secretary and Punjab in-charge Rawat said he has sought information in this regard. Amarinder had on Sunday warned party members against making ill-conceived comments.
Getting into the act, Shiromani Akali Dal has asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and senior leader Rahul Gandhi to say whether they agreed with the ‘anti-India propaganda’.
Over cane prices, Bajwa said it is also a matter of great concern that the State Assured Price (SAP) of sugarcane has not seen an increase during the last four seasons and it remains at Rs 310 per quintal.
"The increase of Rs 15 declared by your government is not enough because the cost of production has increased over the last four years," he noted.
He said neighbouring state of Haryana has announced Rs 358 per quintal for the 2021-22 season.
It is in the best interest of cane growers of Punjab to increase the SAP to Rs 350 per quintal for the 2021-22 season, he stated.
Punjab's main opposition party AAP slammed the Amarinder Singh-led government for not clearing dues of cane growers and raising cane prices.
AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema demanded that the price of sugarcane be fixed at Rs 400 per quintal.
Protesters have blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara stretch of the Delhi-Amritsar national highway near Dhanowali village of Jalandhar district.
Besides, they are also sitting on the Jalandhar-Chaheru section and have blocked the Ludhiana-Amritsar and the Ludhiana-Jammu rail tracks in Jalandhar, affecting movement of several trains
Akali Dal demands resignation
Shiromani Akali Dal has said those from Sidhu’s office who made the J&K comments should resign. It said a case of treason should be filed against Sidhu and his team.
SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said Sidhu’s proximity with the Pak army chief is to blame.
(With PTI Inputs)