Mann announces Rs 1 crore compensation, job for sister of farmer killed at Punjab-Haryana border
Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore and a government job for the sister of farmer Shubhkaran Singh who died at the Khanauri border point.
Singh (21), a native of Bathinda, was killed and 12 police personnel injured in clashes at Khanauri border point on the Punjab-Haryana border on Wednesday. The incident took place when some protesting farmers were trying to head towards barricades.
"The family of Shubhkaran Singh, who got martyred during the farmer's movement on the Khanauri border, will be given financial assistance of Rs 1 crore by the Punjab government and a government job to his younger sister. Due legal action will be taken against culprits," Mann said in a post in Punjabi.
Farmer leaders were demanding financial compensation for the kin of Singh and a government job for a member of his family, besides registration of a case against those who were responsible for his death.
They had also demanded "martyr" status for Singh, who hailed from Ballo village in Bathinda.
The post-mortem of Singh, whose body was kept in a mortuary of Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, was delayed as the farmers pressed for acceptance of their demands.
The chief minister on Wednesday said he was saddened by the death of the young farmer and asserted that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for it.
"After the post-mortem, a case will be registered. Those officials responsible for his death will have to face stringent action," Mann had said.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP for crops and a farm loan waiver.
Farmer leaders on Wednesday put the 'Delhi Chalo' march on hold for two days after a protester was killed and about 12 police personnel injured in clashes at Khanauri and had also said that they would decide their next course of action on Friday evening.
Thousands of farmers remain camped at Khanauri and Shambhu with their tractor-trolleys and trucks agitating for their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver.
The Punjab farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.
STORY | CM Bhagwant Mann announces Rs 1 crore compensation, job to sister of farmer killed at Punjab-Haryana border
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CM denies charge of "vendetta politics" behind panel to speed up probe into scams during BJP rule
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday rejected allegations of "vendetta politics" behind the constitution of a committee of Ministers formed to review and coordinate regarding the action to be taken in connection with probe by government and investigating agencies into various scams that have taken place during the previous BJP government.
He said the panel has been formed to accelerate the probe into such cases, and the government will take action against those who have committed wrong.
"While replying to debate (in the Assembly) I had referred to more than 21 scams during the previous government (of BJP); to speed up the probe into all of them, and to advise to the government and the Cabinet on what is to be done in this regard, the Cabinet sub committee has been formed," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
On inquiry commissions already being formed to probe some cases, he said: "It has not been formed for all cases. Inquiry commissions have been formed for scams or cases such as Sub Inspector recruitment, 40 per cent commission, COVID-19, Bitcoin."
He noted that in some cases such as (irregularities in) COVID-19 (management), a preliminary report has been given, and a committee of officials has been formed to review and submit recommendations on what action to be taken.
Siddaramaiah said the Cabinet sub committee will review the progress of investigations and to recommend to the government on necessary action to be taken.
"I have asked the committee to submit the report within two months," he added.
On the BJP dubbing the move as "vendetta politics," Siddaramaiah said, "what politics have they done with me? (in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam)."
"We don't indulge in vendetta politics, did we do it when I was Chief Minister earlier? Even now we have not done, but we will take action against those who have committed wrong...the committee has been formed to accelerate the probe into (such) cases," he said,
Meanwhile, Home Minister G Parameshwara said the committee is likely to meet this week.
"Every case that is pending at various stages... some of them that have been decided and some yet to be decided...to review all of them and to submit a report a Cabinet subcommittee has been formed. Probably this week itself I will call a meeting of the committee," Parameshwara who heads the committee told reporters.
He said such cases have been identified and their status report will be submitted to the Cabinet.
"We will not go on an individual basis, the number of cases that are pending, we will review. Cases should not catch the dust without action, so we will review them. We were doing it departmentally earlier, now it has been decided at the Cabinet level, so the committee has been formed, it is also to speed up the process," he added.
Parameshwara on Tuesday said during the BJP rule 20-25 scams have taken place, and all of them will be reviewed.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge and Labour Minister Santosh Lad are the members of the committee.
On the BJP's charge of "vendetta politics," the Home Minister said: "Let them say whatever they want, we will have to do our duty."
"As the ruling party we will have more responsibility. They (opposition) have the responsibility to criticise, advise and correct the government if it is going in the wrong direction. As the party in government we have our own responsibility and we are answerable to the people," he added.
