Opposition corners AAP over tardy lifting
Tardy procurement of paddy has caused nervousness among Aam Aadmi Party’s leaders ahead of the byelections in Gidderbaha, Barnala, Dera Baba Nanak and Chabbewal scheduled on November 13.
The state leadership has urged the party’s top bosses to get the issue resolved at the earliest as these Assembly segments largely comprise rural voters.
Political analysts pointed out that the crisis could prove to be blessing in disguise for the Congress and SAD as they would term it political and administrative failure of the CM Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government. It would also have similar impact on the prospects of the BJP candidates, they said.
“The BJP-led NDA government and the AAP government are responsible for such mess. The Centre deliberately did not bother. The CM on his part did not act on time to take up the matter with the Centre,” said the Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, who has visited various grain markets in Malwa, Majha and Doaba in the last few days.
The Congress leaders without naming former CM Capt Amarinder Singh said during previous government, stand operating procedures were put in place to procure crop.
Senior Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema said, “It is criminal negligence on part of the AAP government. The Central Government is also to be blamed.”
AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said, “All stakeholders— farmers, commission agents, rice millers and labourers — know that the issue has been created by the Centre. Neither are they moving grain stored in the state’s godowns nor are they restoring commission of arhtiyas. CM Mann is doing all within his means to speed up the process of moving grain out of Punjab.”
Vineet Joshi, media head, BJP, Punjab Unit, said, “The Centre has already announced the MSP. The state government failed to procure paddy and provide gunny bags. The AAP government failed to ink pact with rice millers on time.”
