Centre’s decision much delayed but a welcome step: Punjab CM
The Hindu
Sukhbir Singh Badal says success of farmers’ agitation represented victory of each and every household in Punjab
Political parties in Punjab on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on repealing the three farm laws even as they asked the Central Government to fulfil all remaining pending demands of farmers.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi termed the Centre’s decision much delayed but a welcome step. “Had Prime Minister Narendra Modi taken this decision much earlier several precious lives would have been saved. Even now, we shall not trust them [the BJP] till the time the laws are repealed by Parliament,” he said.
Blaming the Centre for thrusting these black farm laws on the farmers without taking them into confidence, Mr. Channi said, “The BJP-led Central Government should admit on record to have made a blunder in bringing these Bills for which it hardly bothered to even relent for the past one and half years. Now when the Prime Minister has announced to withdraw these draconian farm laws, he should compensate the farmers adequately for the humongous losses of life and property suffered by them,” he said.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.