SAD calls for an All Party Meeting to discuss precarious situation in the State

(Party says financial relief should be provided to affected sections)

(Sukhbir S Badal asks State govt to give direct orders for vaccines and open international tenders following reports of severe shortage)

Chandigarh, May 12 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today requested chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to call an All Party Meeting to discuss the precarious situation in the State following total chaos amidst a spiraling death count besides discussing ways and means to provide financial relief to different sections of society.

This decision was taken at a meeting presided over by SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal at the party head office here.

Senior party leaders who attended the meeting said the Congress government should try to take everyone along in the fight against Covid-19 and that an All Party Meeting was necessary to ensure all parties worked in synergy with each other and assist the government in its efforts to provide necessary aid to the people. The SAD President also reviewed the humanitarian aid being provided by the SAD and YAD including food service and plasma donation and expressed satisfaction that aid services had been extended to fifty constituencies. He said efforts would be made to reach out to all constituencies in the next few days.

The meeting also took note of the suffering of the people due to the ongoing lockdown in the State and stressed the need to give relief to all sections of society. It said the most affected included taxi operators, rickshaw pullers, small shop keepers and labourers and asked the government to provide financial relief to them. It also asked the government to provide relief to the middle class by deferring bank loans and waiving off installments for six months. It also asked the government to address the grievances of the trading community at the earliest.

Speaking about the reprehensible black marketing of medicines associated with Covid cure, Mr Sukhbir Badal said it was unfortunate that private hospitals were charging lakhs of rupees from Covid patients and the government was not doing anything to regulate these charges. He said the government should lower the fixed charges chargeable by private hospitals besides taking strict action against black marketers to ensure life saving drugs were available at their market price to Covid patients.

Mr Badal said the State government should also give direct orders and even open international tenders for purchase of Covid vaccines. He said reports stating that only one day supply of vaccine was left in Punjab and that people had started demonstrating due to lack of vaccine were very distressing and should be remedied immediately. He also called for augmenting supply of medical oxygen and its efficient distribution to hospitals.

The meeting was attended by senior leaders including Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Jathedar Tota Singh, Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, Sikander Singh Maluka, Gulzar Singh Ranike and Surjit Singh Rakhra.