Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament from Punjab Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Tuesday appealed to all Parliamentarians of the state, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, to rise above the politics and address the issues of the state in relation to the central government. His statement came at the onset of the recent Monsoon session of the Parliament where AAP and the Bhartiya Janata Party leaders were seen at loggerheads on various issues including holding a debate on the Manipur violence.
Speaking at an informal interaction and dinner for all Punjabi MPs across Party lines in New Delhi, Sahney underscored the problems faced by the state farmers despite being a major contributor of agricultural products. Calling the state, "the food bowl of India", Sahney emphasised the importance of nurturing rural sectors and creating infrastructure at Mandis for the benefit of farmers.
According to the data updated by the Punjab Finance Department, the state is one of the prominent northern agrarian states of India. Its contribution to agriculture and the Indian economy has been remarkable and it has made India self-reliant in food. With 1.53% of the country’s area, Punjab contributed 29% of rice and 38% of wheat in the central food grains of the nation during 2016-17.
Sahney seeks financial bailout package
Meanwhile, Sahney also dwelled upon the burgeoning debt of over Rs 3 lakh crore and added the state was in dire need of a financial bailout package amid the fact the state shares an international boundary with Pakistan.
"Punjab being a border state and having witnessed militancy for over two decades deserves a financial bailout package," he stressed. Sahney also reiterated the need for a special relief package for the devastation caused by recent floods in Punjab.
Earlier on Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the state suffered estimated losses of nearly Rs 1,000 crore due to recent floods. A detailed report on the losses will be sent to the Union government and a relief package will be sought, he said. An on-ground assessment of the losses will be done and people will be provided compensation, he said.
MP's who attended the interaction included Som Parkash, Minister of State for Commerce, Raghav Chadha, Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, Susheel Kumar Rinku, Ashok Mittal, Manish Tewari, Gurjit Singh Aujala, Dr. Amar Singh, Mohd. Sadique, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and several Others
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