Even as he reiterated his appeal to the farmers to ease their “Rail Roko” agitation to allow the transportation of critical essentials, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday blamed the Central government for failing to resolve the power crisis resulting from the farmers’ agitation.
The Chief Minister said while three of his cabinet colleagues were in discussion with the farmer unions to persuade them to lift the rail blockade, which had led to serious coal shortage in the state, it was the duty of the Union government to engage with them. Pointing out that two power units at Lehra Mohabat and a unit of GVK in Tran Taran had already shut down, he said the state was staring at a massive power shortage.
In his #AskCaptain Facebook Live session, Captain Amarinder, in response to a question from a Bathinda resident, said the state was facing critical shortage of urea and coal, and also needed to urgently move foodgrain from godowns, which was currently impeded by the Rail Roko Andolan.
The CM said that there is a suggestion that the state should purchase power from the central grid “but where is the money?” He pointed out that the state government was providing free power to farmers and was facing a serious shortage of diesel too. “We need to seriously think about these problems,” he said, appealing to the farmers to lift their blockade to allow movement of these goods.
In response to a question from a Batala resident, who said he wanted to visit Kartarpur, Captain Amarinder said his government had already written to the Government of India that the state has no objections but the decision now rested with the Centre.