Badal assures farm labour unions to resolve their issues

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today assured farm labour unions that the pending amount of Rs 177 crore for MNREGA workers would be released in the current month.
Interacting with a delegation of farm labour unions, which called on him here this morning, Badal said from April 1 the payment of beneficiaries would be transferred directly to their accounts.
On the disbursement of compensation to cotton pickers, the Chief Minister said the state government has already released funds worth Rs 64 crore to the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) besides identifying the eligible farm labourers.
He said the work for disbursement of compensation was being started and would be completed within a month.

The Chief Minister also assured the unions of looking into the matter of cancellation of FIRs registered against the workers during various agitations.
Badal also asked the Rural Development and Panchayat Department to expedite the process of giving ownership rights of the already approved/allotted plots to such labourers.

He said swift action would be taken by the department after any resolution passed by the village panchayat in this regard.
The Chief Minister also informed the power utility authorities that the decision regarding collection of arrears would be made later.
However, he asked the authorities to immediately restore residential power connections of farm workers and added that the arrears must not be added in coming bills.