Chandigarh, April 30, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state President and Member of Parliament (MP) Bhagwant Mann has raised questions over the working strategy of the government amidst the battle against Covid-19 pandemic, saying the ‘Operation Fateh’ mounted against the virus had virtually turned into ‘Operation Fail’ due to lack of vision and poor arrangements on part of the short-sighted state leadership.
In a statement issued from party headquarters on Thursday, Mann said the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, Congress leadership and top administrative officials had been laying tall claims on the ongoing fight against Corona, the situation on the ground was just the opposite, which was why the killer virus continued to spread its tentacles over the state, despite more than month-long curfew curbs in place.
Mann, referring to the ramshackle Ambulance services in Tarn Taran and other government hospitals in the state where doctors were currently fighting the big battle against the epidemic from ground zero without adequate infra, which had exposed the government’s preparedness to combat the crisis, while state health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu was sitting at home with finger crossed.
The AAP leader said that all Members of Parliament should come together and put pressure on the Center for the grant of special financial package to Punjab by adopting a joint resolution. He said all Punjab MPs, including those from the Congress Party, SAD-BJP and others, should cut across party lines and put pressure on Union government for the grant of special financial package to Punjab by adopting a joint resolution.
He added that pressure be exerted on the government to grant tax exemptions and other financial stimulus to the industry in the state on the lines of some hill states, so that the industries and economy, which had suffered huge losses due to prolonged national lockdown could get a push.
The AAP further said that the demand should also be put across to the government to impose a cut in the salaries of MPs by 50 per cent instead of 30 per cent, but MPLAD amount should be restored, for the same was meant for use in the public development work. He also reiterated his demand for withdrawal of benefits of more than one pension to former MLAs and MPs.
The Sangrur MP, while expressing his concern over the non-refund of GST amount, said the union government was not arranging refund of worth several thousand crores to Punjab, saying that union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal was nowhere to be seen on the ground discussing the issue with prime minister, except on TV debates. He lamented “It is very sad that insensitive governments have rendered Punjab helpless to seek rations etc from the Center, which once fed the entire country.”
Accusing the Badals and Congressmen of politicizing Corona crisis, Bhagwant Mann said that were Sukhbir Singh Badal concerned about thousands of devotees and students from Punjab, trapped at various religious centres and other places, he would have pressed into service fleets of his Volvo buses to evacuate them from Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Delhi and other states.
For YesPunjab updates on TELEGRAM, download TELEGRAM and CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE
