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Punjab cabinet passes resolution seeking repeal of Centre’s 3 farm laws
The specially convened Punjab cabinet meeting coincided with the Bharat bandh call given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha against the Centre’s 3 contentious farm laws
A day after the induction of 15 ministers, the Punjab cabinet led by Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday passed a resolution seeking repeal of the central government’s three contentious farm laws.
The specially convened meeting coincided with the Bharat bandh call by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions leading the protests at the Delhi border and elsewhere.
Terming the agriculture laws as anti-farmer and against food security, Channi said they were a threat to the peasantry and their future generations. “Therefore, the earlier resolutions passed by the state assembly seeking repeal of black laws should be conceded by the Centre without delay,” he said.
Referring to a Supreme Court order staying the legislations, the CM suggested that there was the need for dialogue with all stakeholders as the laws had a direct bearing on farmers’ future.
He asked his ministers to win the confidence of the families of 155 deceased farmers by visiting their homes and delivering them appointment letters for government jobs besides instructing chief secretary Anirudh Tiwari to verify the households left out of the process.
Channi also directed Tiwari to explore ways to rationalise compensation to be awarded to the farmers whose land was acquired for government projects, including the Centre’s Bharat Mala road project. Farmers are complaining of inadequate compensation.
Ministers asked to work overtime
The CM asked all ministers to work overtime as time left to fulfill promises made before the 2017 polls was too short, it is learnt. “The CM also asked all ministers to work from 9am to 10pm and sit in office at least two days a week, it is learnt. The ministers would also be given additional responsibility of a district each to oversee government functioning and for redressal of people’s grievances,” said a minister.
In Monday’s meeting, the second after he took over from Capt Amarinder Singh a week ago, Channi assured to announce “people-centric decisions” in the next cabinet meeting on October 1.
Also, the new council of ministers as a “goodwill gesture” appreciated Amarinder for “pro-people initiatives and development works” during his tenure.
Deputy chief ministers OP Soni and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa were also present in the discussions that went on for 3 hours.
Curtail security: CM
CM Channi asked the ministers to keep their security “bare minimum” saying that he had already curtailed his own. “This would save the general public from unnecessary inconvenience,” he said.
To provide access to the elected representatives like sarpanches and municipal councillors it was decided to issue an entry card from the office of deputy commissioners and SDMs concerned so that they are allowed entry in government offices and the secretariats in Chandigarh.
