Cong govt running away from poll promises in Pb: Akali leader

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Prem Singh Chandumajra today accused the Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government of "befooling" the people and "running away" from its poll promises.
Addressing a press conference here, the Anandpur Sahib MP termed the government's decision to abolish 'kurki', a practice under which mortgaged land is auctioned to recover loans under section 67-A of the Cooperative Societies Act, 1961, as a "mere drama", claiming that the section had nothing to do with 'kurki' of land of defaulting farmers.
"Under the section, a defaulting farmer can be put behind bars directly for 40 days or till he paid his dues on the orders of a deputy registrar," he said, adding that in 1986, during his tenure as cooperative minister, he had announced that there would be no 'kurki' of farmers' lands.

A committee set up by him under the chairmanship of Manohar Singh Gill for reforms in the cooperative sector had introduced sections 63B and 63C in the act to enable the Cooperative Department to order 'kurki' of lands of those farmers, who had defaulted on payments, and the sections were being used till date for recovery of loans, said Chandumajra.
He added that if the government was really sincere in helping out the beleaguered farmers, it should have abolished these sections.
The Akali leader hit out at the chief minister for saying he would not succumb to the pressure from the media and opposition parties demanding the resignation of state cabinet minister Rana Gurjit Singh, who is facing allegations of impropriety.

He also expressed concern over the "increasing" gang wars in the state ever since the Congress came to power.

Chandumajra said the SAD-BJP combine would not allow the government to "run away" from its poll promises, "as was the case regarding farm loan waivers", and would oppose its policies and programmes by staging protests at all the district headquarters on June 9.
This would be followed by protests by the SAD-BJP MLAs, MPs and core committee members on June 14, when they would also meet the Governor with a charter of their demands.
If the government still did not "mend its ways", they would gherao it in the Assembly and stage protests in the Parliament, before taking to the streets, he added.