“Solution is gettable through dialogues only”: Haryana Minister Kanwar Pal on farmers protest at Shambhu border

Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], July 25 (ANI): Reacting to the Supreme Court’s order that the status quo be maintained at the Shambhu border, where farmers have been camping since February 13, Haryana Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar said that the farmer’s issue could be solved through dialogue only.

Kanwar Pal said, “If the intentions are to get to a solution (of the farmer’s issue), the solution is gettable through dialogue only. We have never stopped them from protesting, we just don’t agree with the way they seek to do it–by using tractors and trolleys. These things were never good, they created a lot of problems. Everyone has the right to present his views.”

SC told Punjab and Haryana to maintain the status quo at the Shambhu border to prevent a ‘flare-up’.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan said it proposes to constitute an independent committee comprising eminent persons who can reach out to farmers and other stakeholders to find a viable solution to their demands that can be fair, just and in the interests of everyone.

The bench asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to suggest some names of members for the committee, or else it could find some suitable persons for the committee. The Supreme Court asked both states to suggest names within a week.

“Let appropriate instructions be taken within a week. Till then, let parties maintain the status quo at the site to prevent flaring up the situation at the Shambhu border,” the bench stated in its order.

The top court also asked Punjab and Haryana to take steps for the removal of barricades in a phased manner at the Shambhu border so that no inconvenience is caused to the public at large.

On Union Budget 2024, Kanwar Pal said that all the economists believe that the Centre hasn’t done any discrimination.

He further said, “All the economists today believe that the Centre hasn’t done any discrimination. It has given every state its fair share. The Centre cannot announce the names of every state individually during the budget session. If the centre allocates some amount for farmers, women, or health, then it would be divided among the entire nation and not a particular state. If a state like Bihar is behind in progress, then it is the responsibility of the centre to allocate funds to bring it into the mainstream.”

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made major announcements for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, including a boost in infrastructure and special financial support.

The announcement covers human resource development, infrastructure, and the generation of economic opportunities to make the eastern region of the country, covering Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, an engine to attain Viksit Bharat.

In her Budget speech in Parliament, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “On the Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridor, we will support the development of an industrial nod at Gaya in Bihar. We will also support the construction of road connectivity projects, namely the Patna-Purnia Expressway, Buxar-Bagalpur Expressway, Bodhgaya-Rajgir-Vaishali-Darbanga and an additional two-lane bridge over the River Ganga at Buxar at a total cost of Rs 26,000 cr.”

“Power projects, including the setting up of a new 2400 megawatt power plant at Pirpainti, will be taken up at Rs 21400 crore,” she added.

The Finance Minister said that new airports, medical colleges, and sports infrastructure in Bihar will be constructed. An additional allocation to support capital investments will be provided, she said.

She emphasised that the requests of the Bihar government for external assistance from multilateral development banks will be expedited. The FM also announced an allocation of Rs 11,500 crore for flood control measures in Bihar. Funds have also been provided for developing the temple corridors in the iconic temples in Bihar. The Kashi Model will be implemented in Bodh Gaya. Special funds have also been provided for the Rajgir Jain Temple site.