CM announces loan waiver for 10.25 lakh farmers

Tuesday, 20/06/2017

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Chandigarh : In a major relief to Punjab’s debt ridden farmers, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday announced total waiver of entire crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh for small and marginal farmers, up to 5 acres of land, and a flat Rs 2 lakh relief for all other marginal farmers, irrespective of their loan amount, thus paving the way for eventual total waiver of agricultural debts to implement another major poll promise of the ruling party.

Making the announcements during his speech in the Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister said the move would benefit a total of 10.25 lakh farmers, including 8.75 lakh farmers up to 5 acres. “The initiative would provide double the relief announced by the states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra,” he pointed out. The decision is based on the interim report of the Expert Group, headed by eminent economist Dr T Haque, and tasked with suggesting ways and means to help the state’s distressed farming community.

Making it clear that his government stood by its commitment to waive off the crop loans of the farmers, Captain Amarinder said his government had also additionally decided to take over the outstanding crop loan from institutional sources of all the families of farmers who committed suicides in the state. It has also decided to raise the ex-gratia for suicide affected families to Rs 5 lakh from the existing Rs 3 lakh.

For debt relief to farmers for loans raised from non-institutional resources, the government has decided to review the Punjab Settlement of Agriculture Indebtedness Act to provide the desired relief to the farmers through mutually acceptable debt reconciliation and settlement, which shall be statutorily binding on both the parties, the lender and the borrower. “The government has already constituted a Cabinet Sub Committee to review this Act,” he added.

Captain Amarinder SPEAKS

Speaker may constitute a 5-member committee to visit the families of the suicide victims, ascertain the reasons for suicides and suggest steps to be taken to check this menace forever.

My government has already decided to repeal Section 67 A of the Punjab Cooperative Societies Act, 1961, which provides for auction/ kurki of farmers’ land.

I reiterate my commitment to provide free power to farmers but I appeal to all big and well-to-do farmers to give up power subsidy voluntarily.

There are about 18.5 lakh farming families in the state, and about 65 per cent of them are small and marginal farmers, out of which about 70 per cent have access to institutional finance.

on THE CARDS

A State Agriculture Policy focusing on increase in farmers’ income on a sustainable basis would be formulated soon.

An agriculture sustainability programme with focus on various initiatives to boost cultivation, growth and quality of crops, backed by attractive remuneration and greater incentives on alternative crops.

Revamp of Farm Extension Services and a new legislation to regulate agriculture education.

Paddy Straw Challenge Fund to stop the practice of crop residue burning by the farmers.

Computerisation of all the operations in the state under the ‘End to End Computerisation of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) operations’ Scheme

Establishment of a Price Stabilisation Fund to save the farmers from vagaries of market, particularly in the case of perishable commodities such as fruits and vegetables.

Key POINTS

Entire crop loans of 8.75 lakh small and marginal farmers waived off

1.5 lakh marginal farmers with loans of over Rs 2 lakh also given relief of Rs 2 lakh

Rs 2 lakh relief for other marginal farmers, hike in ex-gratia for farmer suicide families to Rs 5 lakh

Free power subsidy for farmers to continue

Govt freezes power tariff at `5 per unit for new, existing industries

Chandigarh : The new industrial policy for Punjab will be declared by the end of July, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday informed the Vidhan Sabha, while announcing a freeze on electricity tariff for new and existing industries at Rs 5 per unit.

The government has also decided to make the Bureau of Investment Promotion more effective with the establishment of its offices at district level.

Making it clear that the new industrial policy would expand and strengthen fiscal incentives to the existing and new industries, the Chief Minister also announced abolition of truck unions to ensure free and fair movement of goods, including industrial products, besides destroying the transport mafia in the state.

The necessary notifications for all these decisions would be issued shortly, Captain Amarinder said.

The government, he told the House, had decided to work out a comprehensive program to improve distribution and transmission systems of power in the state, and also to get the power purchase accounts of last 5 years audited through a third party to discern misappropriation of funds, if any.

The Chief Minister also announced several other steps to revive the state’s industry, which had been completely devastated under the previous regime. These include creation of land banks in all major towns to enable young entrepreneurs to set up industries or shift existing industries to new areas, fiscal incentives for border and kandi areas, simplification of process of obtaining CLU and the establishment of Industrial Policy Implementation Council under the Chief Minister to oversee time-bound development of industry in the state.

Industries set up within the municipal limits in the 80s and 90s would be exempted from the condition of obtaining NoCs from the Municipal Corporations, while the conditions of NoCs and CLUs for new industrial connections stands removed.

The Chief Minister further announced setting up of new industrial hubs in Sangrur and Khanna and a Rs 100 crore fund to be created to promote start-up culture in the state.

Referring to the transport mafia, the Chief Minister informed the House that nearly 27 per cent buses in the state are plying without valid permit and said the permits for trucks and buses given by previous Government in a non-transparent manner would be cancelled.

The new permits would be given through open and transparent system primarily to our youth to engage them in gainful employment, he said, pointing out that the government had already approved moto-taxis scheme under the Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgar scheme.

Come clean on sand mining: Capt to SAD

Chandigarh : Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday asked the Akali leadership to come clean with the names of those involved in looting the state exchequer through manipulation of the sand mine auctions during their rule.

Taking the opposition head-on over the issue, raised in the House, of alleged involvement of Rana Gurjit Singh, Irrigation and Power Minister, in auction of sand mines, the Chief Minister said that without pre-judging the outcome, his government has decided for a judicial enquiry so that truth should prevail.

However, he asked the opposition members to look inwards and come straight on record. How did they manipulate auctions of sand mines to their advantage through wrong policies and practices?, he asked the opposition.

During the last 10 years, the state government had got only Rs 230 crore as revenue from mining of sand/gravel, while his government had, through a single auction, raised revenue of Rs 280 crore, which was expected to rise to Rs 500-600 crore per annum once all auctions are completed, the Chief Minister informed the Vidhan Sabha.

The Chief Minister pointed out that his government had adopted a progressive e-auction policy, which is fully transparent, un-interrupted and un-influenced by anyone in the government.

Won’t allow SYL construction: CM

Chandigarh : Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday stated that there was no way the state could allow any new canal to be built for the diversion of its river waters to other states.

Making it clear that his government had taken and would continue to take every possible administrative and legal action to save the river waters of Punjab, the Chief Minister declared in the Vidhan Sabha that his government will not allow any attempt to divert the water of Ravi, Sutlej and Beas to any other non-basin states.

The state does not have any surplus water and any such attempt to divert its river water would render about one million acre of land in south-western Punjab barren and dry, he said, asserting that, “Our Government will not let this happen at any cost.”

Pointed out that it was an admitted fact that 2/3rd area of Punjab was already a dark zone, where ground water could not be extracted any more, Captain Amarinder said his government would continue to pursue the Government of India with their own order declaring 112 blocks of Punjab as dark zones.

His government would urge upon the central government to apprise the Supreme Court that, “Punjab does not have surplus water and there is no way we can build any new canal for carrying river waters to other states,” he added.

Reiterating his government’s commitment to save and conserve precious water resources of the state, the Chief Minister said they intended to clean and revamp the existing canals to ensure supply of adequate waters to all the state’s farmers.

The government, he said, would re-visit the state’s policy on ground water management and was also committed to establishing a State Groundwater Authority to monitor and manage ground water on continuous basis.