(Sukhbir Singh Badal says attempt being made to cover up scam due to patronage to scamsters by minister Sukhjinder Randhawa)
Chandigarh, May 26( Wishavwarta)- Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced the party would submit memorandums to Deputy Commissioners across the State on May 28 to demand a high level inquiry into the Seed scam under which spurious breeder seed varieties of paddy were sold to unsuspecting farmers at three times the cost of genuine seeds.
Announcing this here, the SAD President said senior party leaders including MP’s, ex MPs, legislators, constituency representatives and district presidents would submit the memorandums to the Deputy Commissioners. He asked the leaders to maintain strict social distancing while doing their duty for the cause of farmers so that safety measures were not compromised during the time of pandemic.
The SAD President said it was shocking that after the State Agriculture department had got an FIR registered in Ludhiana on May 11 following complaints of farmers that they were being supplied spurious breeder seeds, Congress leaders had now swung into action to provide a political cover to the scamsters. “No action has been taken in the matter. The police has not conducted any seizures on godowns as well as the unit of Karnal Agri Seeds, Gurdaspur which supplied the spurious seeds. No arrests have been made in the case. The government is ready to let lakhs of farmers suffer only because the owner of Karnal Agri Seeds is a close associate of Cabinet minister Sukhjinder Randhawa. We will not allow this to happen and will force the government to punish all those who are pushing the hard working farmers of the State into the jaws of suicide”.
Stating that the seed scam, which ran into hundreds of crores was the handiwork of Congress leaders along with unscrupulous seed producers and sellers, the SAD President said chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh should form a SIT to probe the case. He said all those involved including spurious seed sellers like Karnal Agri Seeds management should be subjected to custodial interrogation. He said simultaneously the government should also order an independent inquiry into the whole case.
Mr Badal also appealed to all affected farmers to come forward and register their complaints. He said affected farmers should be compensated and given alternative quality seed free of cost.