Chandigarh: On January 15, President Zail Singh criticized the government policies and agricultural ministry’s functioning. Inaugurating the three day national conference in agricultural marketing to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Directorate Marketing and Inspection, the President said that the Mechanized farming had increased production but it had also increased unemployment.
He said that it is government’s responsibility to reduce unemployment not increase it. Zail Singh also criticized the government for its failure to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers and to protect the interests of the consumer. He asked the Union Agriculture Minister S. Buta Singh and the Minister of State Agriculture Joginder Makawna to visit state without giving prior notice to see if the money given by the government to the farmers was reaching them and whether they were being paid the remunerative prices announced by the government. Mr. Zail Singh said that the Middleman was still operating at the cost of the farmers and the consumer. He said corruption had become part of life. One should not raise the slogan of removing corruption by punishing the corrupt. Those who indulge in corruption are considered honest. Instead of punishing the corrupt, the honest should be honored, he suggested.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 24, 1986
