M A I N N E W S Farmers call off strike

Badal announces Rs 300-crore package

Jangveer Singh/TNS Chandigarh, September 24

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today pledged Rs 300 crore to farmers to make Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) President Balbir Singh Rajewal accept a glass of juice to end his five-day hunger strike in Mohali. Addressing a joint press conference along with Rajewal, the Chief Minister said the Rs 300 crore would compensate farmers for the diesel used by them to grow paddy last year in near-drought conditions. The Rs 800 crore relief from the Centre will go the state electricity utility, Powercom. Rajewal had been spearheading a farmer agitation demanding that the state government distribute the Central relief among farmers. The government had said that the amount had been received with a precondition that it be given to Powercom only. With the issue being politicised by the state Congress, Badal took it upon himself to make peace with the farmers. He also took the wind out of Congress allegations on the Central relief by releasing correspondence between Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira and the Centre on the issue. The Centre had held that Khairas request to put conditions on utilisation of the compensation was not appropriate. Earlier in the day, hectic behind the scenes activity was witnessed with the Chief Ministers Man and party spokesman Daljeet Singh Cheema trying to broker a deal with Rajewal. Last night, the Chief Minister had met a seven-member BKU delegation and shown them the letter received from the Centre on the utilisation of relief. Negotiations continued through the night before the BKU was promised a Rs 300-crore relief. This money will be distributed among farmers in two installments. The first installment of Rs 150 crore will be given next month. Formalities of distribution will be worked out soon, Badal said, while interacting with newsmen along with BKU chief Balbir Singh Rajewal. Rajewal, who drank juice twice at the press conference from Badals hand, appreciated the largesse shown by the Chief Minister to break the deadlock with farmers. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said that the Finance Minister would know whether Powercom had been given the Rs 800 crore received from the Centre in March. Farmers will pay for power BKU chief Balbir Singh Rajewal gave the state government another reason to cheer. While answering a question at the press conference, he said that the BKU would now ask farmers to pay their own power bills. Around half of the states farmers have not been paying tubewell power bills for the last six months. Powercom has been able to collect only Rs 150 crore out of the Rs 300 crore farmers owe it.

