REPORT

Capt. Amrinder Singh Sworn-in

Chandigarh : Captain Amrinder Singh was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Punjab on February 27. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by the Punjab Governor, Lt. Gen (Retd) JFR Jacob at the Raj Bhawan here. Thirteen cabinet ministers and six ministers of state were on 5 March sworn-in to form the Congress Government in Punjab. They are :

Cabinet Ministers :

Smt. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal - Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Women & Child Welfare, Agriculture; Ch. Jagjit Singh - Local Administration, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour & Employment; Pratap Singh Bajwa - Public Works Department (Building & Road), Election; Khushal Bahl - Higher Education, Language, Primary & Secondary Education; Sardul Singh - Excise and Taxation; Gurchet Bhullar - Irrigation; Lal Singh - Finance, Planning & Civil Supplies; RC Dogra - Medical Education and Research, Science & Technology, Environment; Jagmohan Singh Kang - Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Fishery; Tej Prakash Singh - Transport; Ch. Santokh Singh - Social Security, SC/OBC Welfare; Raghunath Sahay Puri - Home, Urban Development and Mohinder Singh Kay Pee - Technical Education, Industrial Training.

Minister of State :

Rakesh Pandey - Printing & Stationery; Dr. Harbans Lal - Forest; Jasjit Randhawa - Public Health, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (Attached to Smt. Bhattal); Amarjit Singh Samra - Revenue, Rehabilitation, Agriculture; Ashwini Sekhri - Cultural Affairs, Tourism (Attached to Capt. Amrinder Singh) and Ramesh Datt Sharma - Public Greivances, Medical Education (Attached to RC Dogra)

 

‘Punjab’s Economy will start moving’

 After becoming Chief Minister of Punjab, which aspect of governance will you give priority to?

Seventy percent of Punjab lives in the fields, so it has to be agriculture. The agriculture portfolio is being looked after by a very senior person in the cabinet, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. A high-powered committee on diversification on agriculture has been already set up headed by someone who has vast expertise: Sardar Singh Johal, who was vice chancellor of the Punjab Agricultural University and later advisor to the RBI. He will not just head the panel but also make a plea for biotechnology. It is only biotechnology that can stem the rot in agriculture. I fail to understand the backward approach of the government.

 Where does this rot lie?

There is a misconception that Punjab is a state with rich farmers. The fact is that 52 percent of the farmers have less than two-and-a-half acres and 84 percent has less than seven acres. There is just a handful which has large holdings. The world regimen is such that these small farmers cannot survive. For example, if the MSP is Rs. 760 for a particular product, the world prices are Rs. 500 right now. Hence, the crops are not remunerative, threatening the very existence of farmers in the state.

 What kind of changes can we expect in a state which was called the food-bowl of India?

There has to be a transitional change first from wheat and rice to high value agri-products. By then, the state will be able to set up an agro industry base for these products. According to a committee which gave its report in 1985, 33 percent of the land should be growing this high-end cash crops. Oilseeds and sugar have been zeroed in immediately. Ninety percent of oilseeds is being imported, for which the country is paying the second largest import bill after petroleum. By sugar, I mean not just for sugar but for other by-products which can be used for making value added ethanol. Pulses is another area which has been identified immediately. If Bangalore can export gherkins, why can’t Punjab?

 Are you okay with the subsidy structure right now for the farmers, where they get free power and electricity?

Six hundred farmers have killed themselves in the last one year in my state. In such a situation, one cannot think of withdrawing these subsidies. But once their incomes go up, the subsidies can be phased out. According to a survey conducted by Punjab University, the cost of cultivation of paddy was estimated to be Rs. 720 per tonne. The support price that was fixed by the government was Rs. 610.

 Where would you ask private investors to come in with their money?

This year, Punjab has already grown 12 million tonnes of wheat, and by the end of the next season, the stocks will hit the ceiling. Silos are becoming a necessity and modernisation and privatisation is essential. This is Rs. 60,000 crore worth of stocks. Because of bad storage systems, half of it must have rotted.

 Why is agriculture in this mess in a state which gave birth to the green revolution?

I don’t want to sound unkind but the Akalis have been medieval in their thinking. In the last five years, they had the golden opportunity to move away from traditional crops but did nothing.

 Among your various meetings, you also met Food and Civil Supplies Minister Shanta Kumar. Any promises from him?

Shanta Kumar is very forward-looking and understands Punjab’s predicament. He has promised to lift every single grain from Punjab in the coming season.

 How bad is the situation for you right now as far as the economy of Punjab is concerned?

The situation is really dismal because the debts run into as much as Rs. 55-65,000 crore. While the revenue is Rs.76,000, the expenditure is Rs. 111,000 crore. The power situation is disastrous. Yearly losses are Rs. 1,300 crore a year. This year, the loan for the power sector is Rs. 5,000 crore and moratoriums on loans, Rs. 1,200 crore. It is a disaster in the making.

 What are the challenges before you to get the state back on track?

I have to do two things — one, increase revenue. The rural side can only be taken care by introducing high value cash crops. And, cut costs by encouraging new industry.

 Do you think you can politically afford to take these tough decisions?

We were brought in for clean governance and to get Punjab’s economy moving. The clear mandate given to me was not for a popularity contest.

 Is Punjab ready to move on from 1984 to these progressive ideas?

The problem with the Akalis was this. They could not think beyond Aurangzeb earlier and now beyond 1984. It is time to put everything behind us.

The youth in Punjab want jobs. In the 12,000 villages of Punjab, 240,000 youth are ready for jobs every year, whereas the jobs available are just 10,000 every year.

- Sonu Jain