Nothing but 'jumlas', says CM of FM's announcements for farmers

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday dubbed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcements of stimulus for the lockdown-hit agriculture sector as "nothing but a pack of jumlas." Singh said the "so-called" economic package offered no immediate relief to distressed farmers, who were battling the stress of handling two major crops one after the other in extremely tough conditions. With all the three tranches of the much-awaited economic package announced so far turning out to be a "major disappointment" for the targeted sections of the society, it is clear that the Centre has "failed" to come to the rescue of the people who were struggling with the unprecedented COVID crisis and the resultant lockdown, said the CM in a statement here.

Expressing serious concern over the "lack of anything substantial" in announcements for farmers, the CM said the farmers need urgent interventions, and not so-called reform measures that have been long in the making and were not needed to be pushed through in haste at this critical juncture. As one of the most affected states, agriculturally, Punjab needed support for farmers during the wheat harvesting and procurement, which the Centre has failed to deliver, he alleged. Despite repeated pleas, the central government did not provide incentive bonus to farmers for staggered procurement, he added.

Despite the Centre's "total lack of support", the farmers of Punjab pushed the limits of their courage and battles against all ends to once again provide the nation with a bumper wheat crop, a special necessity in this hour of crisis, said the CM. The state agencies have worked day and night to ensure smooth and seamless procurement, without help from the Centre, the CM said.

Now that the paddy nursery transplantation had already commenced in the state, ahead of schedule to cope with the strict COVID protocols and labour shortage, the CM said once again the central government had shown no indication of helping out. As part of the agriculture sector package, the finance minister should have announced an increase in minimum support price of paddy, along with incentive bonus to check stubble burning instead of coming out with long-term plans which would have no immediate positive impact on the lives of farmers or those working in allied sectors, he said. Referring to the announcements made in earlier tranches too, including those for migrant labourers, the CM said even those offered no concrete immediate relief. Two months of free rations, which in any case most of the state governments are already providing, is not going to stop the large-scale exodus of migrants from industrial hubs and cities, the CM stated.

And in the absence of any clear incentives that could encourage migrants to stay back, industrial and economic revival of the country will not happen even after the lockdown is lifted, he said. The CM urged the Centre to focus on addressing urgent needs of various sections, especially of those most affected by the lockdown, and leave the long-term reforms to a more suitable time, when things stabilize on the economic and social fronts.

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