Sri Muktsar Sahib: Punjab government would continue providing free electricity to farmers in the state, as agriculture was no longer a profitable venture and had reached a point of saturation, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday said.
"There was hardly any reason to stop these subsidies which have been given by the SAD-BJP alliance ever since they have been voted to power in year 2007," the chief minister said.

Badal was addressing a gathering here during the concluding day of his thanks giving tour of the Lambi Assembly seat.
He reiterated that Punjab being a welfare state it was duty of the state to provide these subsidies to the farmers and the weaker sections of the society.
Moreover, he said, as agriculture was no longer a profitable venture and had already reached a point of saturation, it was the duty of the state government to protect the interests of the farmers.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

Likewise, the chief minister said owing to the high inflationary trends prevalent in the country, the state government also feels its moral responsibility of giving a relief to the weaker sections of the society by providing them free power.
However, Badal said the financial condition of the state was very good and there was no dearth of funds for carrying out development work in the state.
Welcoming the invitation extended by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for visiting Pakistan, Badal said it would help in strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

With the improvement in bilateral ties between both neighboring countries, more trade would take place which would benefit them in general and Punjab in particular.

The chief minister denied allegations leveled by former finance minister and nephew Manpreet Singh Badal that his phones were being tapped by the state government.

Badal categorically said that the state government was not indulged in any such activity.
PTI