Punjab CM Thanks PM For Centre's Gesture On Rate Cut On Wheat

Terms This Decision As Farmer Friendly

Chandigarh, April 29, 2015: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today  welcomed the Government of India’s decision to bear the entire liability of value cut on the wheat yield and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this gesture.

The Chief Minister also reiterated his earlier appeals to the Prime Minister requesting the latter’s personal intervention   at a wider

level to ensure an immediate and comprehensive package to the farmers to cope with both the short term and the long term challenges that agriculture as a sector has been facing.

In a statement here this evening, Badal said that the Centre government’s gesture to   the beleaguered farmers was  badly needed to

address a part of the crisis in which farmers find themselves today.

It may be recalled that the Chief Minister had been persistently pursuing this issue with the Centre at the highest level. Only four

days ago, he had personally sent out an impassioned and vehement plea amounting virtually to an SOS  to the Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi requesting him to intervene   for expediting  help to the farmers.

Badal had also been in touch with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Affairs  In his statement today,  Badal categorically reiterated his government’s   firm commitment to the farmers not to  allow them to suffer as the crisis had befallen because of factors like freak weather conditions, unseasonal rain and hailstorms which were  beyond the control of the farmers.