Chandigarh
19 May 2020
DIVYA AZAD
The past fifty eight days of curfew and lockdown in Punjab to prevent spread of corona virus has affected livelihood of lakhs across the state. All are effected be it poor, middle class, rich, businessman, farmer, laborer or people in job. The Punjab government should immediately announce a financial package giving relief to all the strata of Punjabis on the lines of those issued by BJP led states of Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, demanded senior Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vineet Joshi in a press statement issued here.
He said that barber, washerman (dhobi), cobbler, plumber, electrician, mechanic, mobile mechanic, drivers of auto, taxi, cab and bus, rickshaw and thela pullers, rehri-fari owners, small dhaba owners, labor working on dhabas, farm laborers be given one-time compensation as Rs 5000 to help them.
Also the farmers, who grew fruits, vegetables etc, have suffered great losses as their produce could not be sold in market. They should also be given Rs 25000 per acre compensation. Similarly, dairy and fish farmer should also be compensated, said Joshi
Minimum electricity bill or fixed electricity charges for shopkeepers, malls, hotels, industry owners, commercial establishments, educational institutes and religious bodies should be waived off for at least three months i.e. March, April and May. Similarly, the domestic power consumers be waived of penalty and interest on the power bills for month of March, April and May and the same be allowed to be paid over next three months installment.
Punjab government, its corporations and boards should immediately clear bills of vendors, suppliers, contractors, etc pending with it till March 31 2020, hence providing them a big relief immediately.
