Sukhbir Badal meets Sant Seechewal discusses massive damage caused to the Beas river
Sukhbir Badal meets Sant Seechewal, briefs him about efforts to give clean chit to Sarna family
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal discussed the alarming loss to aquatic and human life with the contamination of the Beas river by the family of chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s Religious Advisor Paramjit Sarna with Sant Balbir Singh Seechawal.
While taking the blessings of Nirmal Kuteya head and noted environmentalist - Sant Seechewal late yesterday evening, the SAD president briefed him how in another dangerous trend efforts were on to give a clean chit to the Sarna family. “Government officials are being made to say that all is well even when the massive damage caused to the Beas river and the environment was there for all to see”.
Sant Seechewal agreed that this was unfortunate. He said the contamination was such that thousands of tonnes of fish had been killed and drinking water supply to the entire Malwa region and even parts of Rajasthan had been polluted. Sant Seechewal said no one should be allowed to pollute our river systems however high they may be and that all governments should be committed to protection of the environment.
Giving details of the current man made ecological disaster perpetrated by the Sarna family’s sugar mill, Mr Badal told the Nirmal Kuteya head that effluents were released into the Beas river wilfully by the mill management. He said despite huge loss to aquatic life and endangering the lives of millions of people who were dependent on the Beas river for drinking water, no action had been taken against the Sarna family purely because Paramjit Sarna was a personal friend of the chief minister.
The SAD president also briefed Sant Seechewal that the Congress government was sheltering the sugar mill owners and refusing to initiate criminal proceedings against them as per the law. He said this had set a dangerous precedent.
“Now those indulging in destruction of the environment will have no fear of State action because the Congress government refused to make this a test case by taking stringent action, including arrest of the sugar mill owners”.
The SAD president also briefed the Sant how the SAD had approached the Union ministry to ensure a non-partisan inquiry into the entire issue and a team was being sent for this purpose.
Mr Badal also briefed Sant Seechewal that besides polluting rivers, Congressmen were indulging in illegal mining on a massive scale which was weakening river embankments. He also disclosed that despite videographic evidence of the misdeeds of Congress candidate Hardev Singh Laadi the Congress party had awarded him with the party ticket for the Shahkot by-poll. He said this had demoralised all right thinking persons who had decided to teach a lesson to the Congress party for patronising a sand mining mafia kingpin. Mr Badal sought Sant Seechewal’s blessings which were readily given.
