Cabinet clears crop loan waiver scheme
Thursday, 21/09/2017
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Chandigarh : Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval to notify the crop loan waiver scheme announced by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in the state assembly in June this year.
Besides taking over the entire eligible loan amount of the farmers covered by the debt waiver scheme, the government has decided to also take over the outstanding interest of farmers from April 1, this year, till the date of notification, which will lead to an additional Rs 400 crore benefit to the farmers.
The entire amount would be defrayed to the banks in a phased manner, except for the cooperative credit institutions, an official spokesperson disclosed after the Cabinet meeting, adding that the proposed notification will pave the way for the state government to take up the issue of settlement of loan with respective banks as a one-time settlement.
The crop loan waiver scheme, based on the recommendations of an expert group headed by eminent economist Dr T Haque, will directly benefit nearly 10.25 lakh farmers across the state. The Chief Minister had in June announced waiver of the entire crop loans (upto Rs 2 lakh) of all small and marginal farmers (up to 5 acres) and a relief of Rs 2 lakh to the remaining marginal farmers irrespective of the amount of loan.
The notification envisages that in case of marginal farmer (less than 2.5 acres) the entire eligible amount of those farmers who have total outstanding crop loan liability up to Rs 2 lakh shall be provided as debt relief and in case of eligible amount of more than Rs 2 lakh, only Rs 2 lakh shall be provided as debt relief. In case of small famers (from 2.5 acres to less than 5 acres), the entire eligible amount of those farmers who have total outstanding crop loan liability up to Rs 2 lakh, shall be provided as debt relief.
The scheme shall come into force from the date of its notification in the official gazette. According to the notification, crop loan means a short term production loan given in connection with the raising of crops which is to be repaid within 6 to 12 months. It will include working capital loan, extended to marginal and small farmers.
Fresh Bill to protect interests of depositors
Punjab Cabinet approved the introduction of a fresh Bill in the Vidhan Sabha to protect the interests of depositors against default.
The Cabinet, in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, decided to withdraw the Punjab Protection of Interests of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Bill, 2015, which was earlier sent to the Centre for obtaining the assent of the president and was pending with the Ministry of Home Affairs, an official spokesman said.
The decision comes in the wake of mushrooming of fraudulent financial establishments in the state in the recent past, the spokesman said.
The move follows serious complaints received by the state government, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) against many financial establishments allegedly indulging in unscrupulous activities to fleece innocent depositors, he said.
These establishments are found to be making impracticable or commercially unviable promises or by offering highly attractive rates of interest or rewards, with no intention of fulfilling their obligation of refunding the deposits on maturity or rendering proper services assured to the investors at the time of accepting the deposits.
Scheme to ensure welfare benefits reach poor
Punjab government will launch a new scheme to ensure that the benefits of its various welfare programmes reach the rural poor.
The Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojna (MGSVY) scheme, in line with the Antyodaya principles, will be implemented in the state’s rural areas, an official release said here on Wednesday.
The scheme will identify the poor and distressed households which have been deprived of the benefits of the various welfare schemes, it said.
It also focuses on encouraging voluntary organisations, various civil society organisations, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and other socially committed persons to contribute to the welfare of the downtrodden, the official release said.
Proposal for global tenders to set up technical varsity
Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday gave a go-ahead for inviting global tenders to establish a world-class technology university at Mohali, an official said.
The Cabinet approval was given at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Wednesday, the official spokesperson said after the meeting. The move will help creatw nearly 2,400 direct jobs while boosting the state’s GDP by Rs 6,500 crore, he claimed. The proposed university will focus on skill development in IT and IT-enabled services, biotechnology, biosciences, material sciences and nanotechnology and will help push up the tax revenue by Rs 600 crore, he said. Based on the proposals received, an area of 50 acres earmarked for IT/ITES, may be allocated for setting up the university. The cabinet also gave its assent to opening district bureaus of employment and enterprise in all district as a step towards implementing government’s ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar’ scheme. These bureaus will function as a platform to facilitate all kinds of employment opportunities for the youth, including overseas employment, skill training, self-employment, enterprise and entrepreneurship development, he said. The Cabinet also decided to set up a state-level apex committee and a district governing council of the bureau to implement the ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar’ programme.
Amendment to take liquor vends in MC limits out of highway rule
In line with the Supreme Court judgement of July 11, this year, the Cabinet on Wednesday approved an amendment to the Punjab Excise Act to allow licensed liquor vends in the limits of municipal areas to sell liquor even if they are located within a distance of 500 meters from the national/state highways.
Section 26-A of Punjab Excise Act, 1914 will be suitably amended to ensure that the condition of sale of liquor through licensed vends at a distance of 500 meters away from National/State highways does not apply to the licensed liquor vends within the limits of Municipal Area.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, also gave a go-ahead to a proposal for amendment of Sections 72, 78 and 81 of Punjab Excise Act, 1914, to check smuggling of liquor in the state.
With this amendment, bringing of foreign liquor from other states into Punjab in a quantity exceeding 12 bottles of 750 milliliters capacity each will be a non-bailable offence. Also, vehicles carrying more than 3 cases of liquor shall be confiscated. During trial, the vehicle shall only be released against cash or bank guarantee equivalent to the value thereof, as per the proposed amendment.
Govt schools set to start pre-primary enrolment
Enrolment in pre-primary classes for the next academic session is all set to start in government schools across Punjab this month, with the state Cabinet giving its nod to the proposal, announced earlier by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in a bid to strengthen the school system in the state. Following the Cabinet approval, government schools will start enrolling children over the age of 3 in the pre-primary classes, which will become operational in the forthcoming academic session. Under the existing rules, government schools could admit children only over the age of six. The move will help ensure holistic and integrated early childhood care and education, and also check the decline in enrolment of children in government schools. Speaking at the cabinet meeting held here on Wednesday afternoon, the Chief Minister also suggested improvement in the government school curriculum, with historical events and heroes to be incorporated to help connect the children to their roots.
