Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
New Delhi:
About 2,000 additional paramilitaries will be deployed in Punjab to improve security as there are regular reports of some elements trying to stir unrest in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Wednesday.
Bhagwant Mann said this after meeting here with Union Home Secretary Amit Shah, who assured him of all the assistance from the central government.
“There are regular reports that some miscreants are trying to cause trouble in Punjab. So I have asked the Home Secretary to sanction additional troops for the security of the state,” he told reporters.
The prime minister said that 10 companies of paramilitary personnel have already reached Punjab, while another 10 companies will soon be approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
A company of paramilitaries includes about 100 employees.
Bhagwant Mann said the Home Secretary told him that there is no compromise on national security and that it is above party politics and that the central government would provide all necessary assistance to the government of Punjab.
The prime minister said he has informed the interior minister about the delivery of weapons from across the border via drones and has enlisted the help of the central government to deal with this. Mann said that security at the borders must be stepped up to defend the security and sovereignty of our country.
He expressed deep concern about the increasing drug and arms trafficking from across borders via drones and urged Shah to immediately provide anti-drone technology to thwart such attempts.
The prime minister of Punjab also urged Shah to issue a notice for the purchase of Basmati on MSP, saying it is time to get the farmers out of the wheat-paddy cycle that necessitates promotion of Basmati is. Mann said it will help save the state’s precious water resource and boost crop diversification.
The prime minister also sought compensation of Rs 500 per quintal for the low yield of wheat grain in the state.
He said that due to the intense heat during this summer season, wheat grains in Punjab have been damaged, adding that it is high time that farmers should be compensated for this damage by giving them compensation worth Rs 500 per quintal for a low yield.
Bhagwant Mann said that hardworking and resilient state farmers have made a huge contribution to making our country self-sufficient in food production and that the Union government must now rescue them in this hour of crisis.
Raising another issue, he asked Amit Shah to revoke the order regarding the abolition of the Punjab member of the BBMB. He said this is a discriminatory move that has bruised the psyche of every Punjabi. Mann said the Union government must reverse this “retrogressive step that is diluting the federal structure in the state.”
Mann assured Shah that Punjab will maintain the ethos of communal harmony, peace and brotherhood in the state. He said any attempt to divide the state into common lines will be thwarted and the state’s hard-earned peace will be maintained at all costs. Mann said that Punjab has always remained the sword arm of the country and that the state will continue to uphold this glorious tradition.
Sources said security forces have been put on the alert and security in Amritsar has improved ahead of the 38th anniversary of Operation Blue Star.
Operation Blue Star was conducted by the military between June 1 and June 8, 1984 to flush out terrorists hiding in the Golden Temple complex.
