Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday announced that the state government would boycott the NITI Aayog meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on July 27.
Interacting with mediapersons during his two-day visit to Jalandhar to listen to the grievances of the people from the Doaba and Majha regions at his Jalandhar residence, the chief minister said the decision was taken after the Union Budget failed to allocate funds to Punjab despite the state’s significant contributions to the nation.
Mann termed the Union Budget a ‘Kursi Bachao Budget’ (Save the Chair Budget), accusing the Centre of political vendetta against non-BJP ruled states.
Mann said Punjab being a main and major grain-producing state was ignored in the Budget, and the Finance Minister’s announcement of providing ration to 80 crore people did not mention Punjab.
The chief minister said, “Punjab shares a 532-kilometer international border and has always stood for the nation’s interest, but the Union government has blocked roads and imposed a burden on the state.”
Mann recalled his efforts to waive off the Rs 7.5 crore imposed by the Union government for sending military forces during the Dinanagar and Pathankot attacks in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
The chief minister assured that his government would raise its financial resources to make the state economically viable and demanded a special status for Punjab. He highlighted Punjab’s contributions to the freedom struggle and its role as the food bowl of India.
“Farmers of the state were ignored, and barriers were raised to stop them from going to Delhi,” he said.
The chief minister criticised the Union government for withholding Rs 10,000 crore from the state and the Governor for raising trivial issues every day.
He said every effort would be made to maintain the law and order situation and appealed to the Governor not to create conflict.
Appeals to the gov to refrain from creating atmosphere of conflict
Mann hit out at Governor Banwarilal Purohit over his visits to border areas, saying that he should refrain from creating an “atmosphere of conflict” and instead inaugurate a seminar at a university.
The CM said the governor holds a constitutional post and should fulfil his responsibility “and we will fulfil ours”.
“The decisions about the appointment of vice-chancellors in universities should be made by elected representatives, not selected ones,” the CM said.
He appealed to the Governor to refrain from creating an atmosphere of conflict, given the constitutional nature of the post.
“He should inaugurate a seminar at a university. It does not mean that he should now go to villages and take out a roadshow in villages,” the chief minister said.
“He took half of my government along,” Mann added, referring to senior officers of civil and police administrations accompanying the governor during his border area visits. “Why the governors of only those states are doing it where the BJP is not in power? The reason is to cause harassment,” he said. “Why does the Gujarat governor not write to the chief minister? Why does the Rajasthan governor not visit the border areas? Have you ever seen governors of the BJP-ruled states saying anything?” he said.
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