lashing out at the Opposition for “twisting” the farm debt waiver issue, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday clarified that Rs 1,500 crore proposed in the budget was initial money provided to leverage more sum to be given for the debt waiver scheme in instalments.
Speaking in the Vidhan Sabha on concerns raised by the Opposition with regard to the Government's farm debt waiver decision, he said, about Rs 9,500 crore, subject to final reconciliation of accounts, will be required to fully implement the debt waiver scheme.
“This would take about four-five years to settle with the banks, but the farmers would be free from their debt immediately after notification of the scheme which is expected to take another six-eight weeks, he added.
“We propose to take over the debt of the farmers covered under the scheme and make the payments to the banks directly in instalments,” he said.
Reiterating his earlier announcement, during his reply to Governor’s Address in Vidhan Sabha on June 19, Captain said that on the basis of an interim report submitted by the expert group headed by Dr T Haque, his Government had decided to waive entire crop loans of small and marginal farmers having up to five acres of land with loans up to Rs 2 lakh.
This, he said, would provide a relief of total debt waiver to 8.75 lakh farmers, as per the data of the report of March 31, 2017 of state-level Bankers' Committee.
He reaffirmed that his Government has also decided to provide a relief of Rs 2 lakh to the remaining marginal farmers, with up to 2.5 acres of land, irrespective of the amount of loan.
“This will provide relief to additional 1.50 lakh marginal farmers," he claimed.
He pointed out that in all, about 10.25 lakh farmers will be benefited by this debt waiver as part of the initiative, which proposes double the relief provided by the states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
“Government has now given 60 days' time to the expert group to give its final report proposing the detailed scheme of debt waiver to these 10.25 lakh farmers,” he said.
On the farmers' suicides issue, he said that it has been decided to waive the entire debt of their families which the Government would bear.
Referring to landless labourers, Capt Amarinder said that the Government does not have any record or information either on their number or with regard to their outstanding debt.
He also proposed that a five-member committee be constituted by the Speaker to look into the issues of landless labourers and give its recommendations so that appropriate solution of their issues could also be found.
NEW EDUCATION POlICY
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced that the Government is bringing new education policy which would cover his promise of free education to girls from nursery up to the PhD level.
Countering the opposition’s criticism on the Government’s alleged failure to make a provision in the budget for some of the announcements made by him in the education sector, Capt Singh said that his announcement to start pre-primary classes in all Government schools from the next academic session will be “fully reflected” in the new Education Policy on which education department is working.
“For the rest, measures will be taken to appoint requisite teachers in this regard so that the objective could be achieved as early as possible,” he said.
He assured the House that requisite funds for this purpose will be provided by the Government.
Similarly, he said that the provisions for free education for girls from nursery to PhD in State Government institutions will also be fully reflected in the new Policy and the necessary funds will be provided by the Government.
He also announced to set up Maharaja Pratap Singh Chair in Punjabi University, Patiala.