AAP to raise farmers' woes to corner Cong govt in Pb Assembly

The AAP is set to corner the Congress government during the budget session, which will start from June 14, on various issues including farmer suicide, farm loan waiver and mining mafia.
With several of its MLAs being first-time legislators, the AAP, which is the main opposition in Punjab, has decided to train them so that the legislators can "effectively raise" burning issues in the House.
The maiden budget session under the new dispensation is scheduled to commence at 2 pm on June 14 and adjourn sine-die on June 23.
"We will take up several burning issues like rising number of farmers' suicide and non-implementation of farm loan waiver by the state government during the budget session," Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Harvinder Singh Phoolka said today.

"We will demand that the government pay loan installments of farmers till debt waiver is announced," he said.
Phoolka said the AAP will also demand doubling of budget in education sector and filling up vacant position of teachers in government schools.

"The issue of sand mining mafia will be raised by us in the Assembly," the AAP leader said.
Notably, opposition parties have been demanding sacking of Punjab Cabinet minister Rana Gurjit Singh, who was facing impropriety charges in sand mining contracts.
Over a woman constable in Ludhiana committing suicide on June 9 after being allegedly harassed by his colleague, Phoolka said the AAP will demand that female staff in police department should not be given night duties.

The party has invited its Delhi legislator Sourabh Bhardwaj to train AAP MLAs tomorrow ahead of the Assembly session.
"We have also decided to provide each MLA an expert on a particular subject who will provide facts and figures so that the legislator can make their points effectively," he said.
A meeting between the AAP and the Lok Insaaf Party has been called on June 13, to decide on the floor strategy during the Assembly session.
Out of 20 AAP MLAs, 19 are the first timers. The AAP along with the Lok Insaaf Party had won 22 seats in the Assembly elections held in February.