Attari (Amritsar), Feb 1 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal Thursday started his party’s ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’ from here, demanding the re-opening of the international border with Pakistan to facilitate trade between the two countries.
He also demanded an increase in compensation to farmers tilling land beyond the barbed wire fence in the Indian territory.
Badal started the ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’ to expose the “failures” of the AAP government and showcase the contribution of the erstwhile Akali governments in the state. The yatra will cover over 40 assembly constituencies in a month.
Before the start of the ‘yatra, the SAD president and the senior party leadership offered prayers at Akal Takht to seek blessings for its success.
The yatra formally started from Attari with Badal leading a cavalcade of vehicles, that included tractors, cars, and motorcycles and moved to the tunes of “Utho ve Sher Punjabio Punjab Bacha lo.” Party leaders Gulzar Singh Ranike, Bikram Singh Majithia, and Anil Joshi accompanied the SAD president at the head of the cavalcade with their supporters marching with them on foot.
The SAD president held a discussion with border farmers near the ‘zero point.’ During their meeting, farmers told the politician that thousands of people had lost their livelihood due to the closure of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Wagah.
They said that a compensation of Rs 12,000 per acre per annum owed them for land across the barbed wire fence was pending for the last two years.
The farmers called for moving the fence close to the ‘zero line,’ saying restrictions were proving detrimental to them.
They also demanded that compensation for border farmers be raised to Rs 35,000 per acre for the 21,600 acres of land that exists beyond the barbed fence.
The farmers said that a government hospital announced by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal here was yet to come up.
Badal told farmers, “We will leave no stone unturned to ensure an increase in compensation for losses suffered in tilling land across the border.” He said the party would also make efforts to help resume trading activities at the international border.
Later interacting with youths in Chogawan village along with party leader Veer Singh Lopoke, the SAD president said, “We will expose all falsehoods of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its chief minister Bhagwant Mann during the next one month.” He added, “We will prove that this party of outsiders and its puppet chief minister who is controlled from Delhi can never deliver justice to Punjabis.” Badal said the ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’ would lay the foundation for the ouster of the alleged “corrupt, scam ridden, anti-Sikh and anti-Punjabi AAP government” and establish a “pro-people” government led by the SAD. PTI JMS CHS VN VN
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