Amarinder seeks PM’s support for agrarian, industrial crisis
Wednesday, 12/07/2017
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New Delhi/Chandigarh : Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support to tackle the agrarian crisis in the state and promoting the state’s industrial development to revive its economy and enable job creation.
Amarinder, who met the Prime Minister in New Delhi, sought the Centre’s support for resolution of his state’s agrarian crisis.
“He requested the Prime Minister’s intervention to settle the Rs 31,000 crore debt, resulting from the CCL (cash credit limit) legacy gap of Rs 12,500 crore and the exorbitant interest of Rs 18,000 crore imposed on it by the centre,” a spokesperson for the Chief Minister said in Chandigarh.
Amarinder Singh pointed out that the debt would require Rs 3,240 crore to be spent every year on debt servicing for the next 20 years at the cost of the welfare schemes for the people.
On the CBI investigation into cases of sacrilege and targeted killings of RSS, Hindu and Shiv Sena leaders taking place in Punjab since January 2016, the Chief Minister noted that despite their best efforts, the Central and state police and intelligence agencies had failed to make a breakthrough.
He requested that the central intelligence and investigation agencies be instructed to augment their efforts to trace these cases, especially in view of recent inputs indicating plans of militant and radical organisations and individuals to launch more such targeted attacks in Punjab.
Amarinder urged the Prime Minister to help in the revival of Punjab’s economy through industrial development. Industry in the state has moved base to other states, especially nearby hill states where tax holiday was available under a central government scheme.
Amarnath yatra attack shameful act: CM
Chandigarh: Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday condemned the “dastardly” terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims in Kashmir and described it as a “shameful act of cowardice by forces bent on whipping up communal tension to trigger violence in the country”.
He asserted that the people of India were together against such elements, who were out there to destabilise the country and said, “We will not allow anyone to vitiate and communalise the atmosphere in Punjab and other parts of the country.”
In a statement issued here, Singh denounced the terror attack and extended all the support of his government to those injured.
He had expressed his shock and condemnation at the “dastardly killing of Amarnath pilgrims in Anantnag” on Twitter late on Monday night.
Calling for a “collective action” by the central and state governments to counter such assaults on the country’s peaceful fabric, he expressed confidence that by working together, especially in the border states, the evil forces could be defeated.
Seven Amarnath pilgrims, including six women, were killed and 19 injured when their bus came under terrorists’ gunfire in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Monday night.
‘Connect with your roots’ scheme for young NRIs proposed
New Delhi: Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has sought the Central government’s support to launch a ‘Connect with Your Roots’ (CYR) programme for young boys and girls of Punjabi origin settled abroad. The Chief Minister discussed the proposed programme with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting here on Tuesday. The programme, said Captain Amarinder, would provide an opportunity to the youngsters, settled in different parts of the world, to visit the places from where their families hailed, or where their grandparents were born, or where they themselves spent their early years.
The proposed scheme could be open to young boys and girls in the 16-22 age group, he suggested, adding that the programme would provide these youngsters a platform to go back to their roots and connect with the same. It would also enable them to learn about their family background, and the culture to which they belong, and also to build an emotional bonding with the country of their roots, he said, adding that there was a lot of curiosity among Indian-origin youngsters settled in other countries to know about their ancestral home.
Punjab government has already launched a ‘Friends of Punjab’ scheme for NRIs or Punjabi origin to participate in the development and growth of the state. The new programme will enhance the NRI engagement at the level of the youth, who can be a vital engine in the state’s programme, said the Chief Minister.
