Punjab CM Channi meets PM Modi, discusses farmers' issues
Darpan News Desk IANS, 01 Oct, 2021 10:38 AM
New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed farmers issues. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister's official residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg here.
It is learnt that Channi in his first meeting with the Prime Minister after becoming chief minister of Punjab requested that the Centre take back its decision to postpone paddy procurement by 10 days. The Centre has postponed the procurement of paddy by 10 days due to rain in Punjab and Haryana. Earlier the procurement was supposed to start from October 1 but now it will start from October 11.
"The chief minister has raised the issue of postponement of paddy procurement and requested to withdraw the order and immediately start the procurement," sources said.
The sources said that the Punjab chief minister also discussed issues concerning the development of the state.
It is learnt that Channi discussed the three new farm laws against which farmers have been protesting for almost a year. "Punjab chief minister Channi has requested the Prime Minister to repeal the three new farm laws or find a solution to end the farmers' protest," sources said.
Last month, the Congress high command made Channi the chief minister of Punjab replacing Amarinder Singh. Channi reached the national capital on Friday afternoon around 3 p.m. and later went to meet the Prime Minister.
There is speculation that Channi will meet former Congress President Rahul Gandhi and other senior party leaders before returning to Punjab. Channi is likely to discuss the ongoing crisis in the Punjab Congress unit with the party central leadership after the resignation of Navjot Singh Sidhu from the post of state unit chief. Before coming to the national capital, Channi met Sidhu on Thursday.
Punjab has reported the second death due to coronavirus, officials said on Monday. He was in a close contact with the state's lone casualty Baldev Singh and both were 'granthis'.
The Centre on Thursday announced the first instalment of a fiscal relief package, worth Rs 170,000 crore, to protect the weaker sections of the society from the economic fallout of Covid-19.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Thursday announced immediate distribution of 10 lakh packets of dry ration to daily wagers and unorganised labourers to help them during the curfew because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Urging the police personnel to exercise maximum restraint in the difficult situation, the Chief Minister asked them to find more compassionate ways of handling curfew violations, especially in cases of individuals found moving out for essentials.
