The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday said the party would submit memorandums to deputy commissioners across the state on 9 May to demand farmers be compensated to the tune of Rs 500 per quintal for low wheat yields.

The SAD also demanded an immediate review of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s decision to delay paddy transplantation up to June 24 by dividing the state into three zones.

The SAD also demanded the AAP government adopt a triple sharing formula to make Punjab farmers debt-free by distributing the debt among farmers, state government and the loaning agency. It said Lok Adalats should be created for this purpose.

Addressing a Press conference, senior SAD leaders Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema alleged the AAP government for lying on the issue of providing permanent employment. They said the state finance minister on 2 May approved outsourcing of 1337 posts in PUNBUS. The leaders said the AAP government had betrayed the youth of the state within two months of taking over the reins of power.

Giving details, Prof Chandumajra said the government decision to divide Punjab into three zones for the purpose of paddy transplantation and allow transplantation only after June 24 in the third zone would spell disaster for the State.

He said farmers should not be penalised for mismanagement of power supply by the AAP government. “If paddy transplantation is delayed inordinately it will not only result in more moisture and losses for farmers but also delay the next wheat sowing season”, he said while demanding the government take back this decision immediately.

Prof Chandumajra said farmers were being denied compensation for loss of wheat crop due to rains and hail storm despite completion of the girdwari process even though chief minister Bhagwant Mann had announced the compensation would be released without doing any girdawari.

He also demanded the state take up the issue of granting compensation at the rate of Rs 500 per quintal to farmers for loss of wheat yields by getting the case approved as one of natural calamity by the Centre.

Meanwhile, the SAD also asked the state to compensate farm suicide victim families immediately saying it was condemnable that no government functionary of minister had even visited the families to provide solace to them.

Dr Cheema said the SAD would also register its protest against the deteriorating law and order situation, signing of an unconstitutional and illegal document by Punjab which gave Delhi administrative control of the state, diversionary tactics to deflect attention from real issues leading to communal tensions, alarming power situation and rise in petroleum and LPG prices.

He also demanded the government come out with a mining policy immediately instead of concentrating on registration of cases against its political opponents.

The SAD leader said the four time hike in sand prices had derailed the entire construction industry leading to misery for the people as well as construction workers.