To formulate a blueprint of a national debt waiver scheme for farmers in consultation with the states, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to constitute a committee of the Union Government and some Chief Ministers.
Underlining the importance of the Swaminathan Committee report to be accepted in totality, Capt Amarinder said that the Governing Council should consider the issue of agricultural loan waiver at the national level, on priority.
Stressing the need for greater empowerment of the states by the Central Government in the spirit of cooperative federalism, Capt Amarinder reiterated his government’s request for central assistance to celebrate Guru Nanak Dev’s 550th birth anniversary and the centenary of Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar next year, in a befitting manner.
Pointing out that the nation was also observing the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Capt Amarinder said that 2019 is a historic year for the entire nation, and called for collective efforts to ensure that the various commemorative events are celebrated in the spirit they deserve.
Capt Amarinder, while addressing the meeting of NITI Aayog, pushed for special one-time infrastructure development package for Punjab’s border areas, which has an active international border with thickly populated border districts.
lamenting that the criteria for allocation of funds under Border Areas Development Programme remained unfavourable to Punjab, he also called for acquisition of lands that lie beyond the border fence by the Centre, along with incentives for industry in the border area.
Describing the meeting of the NITI Aayog as the ideal platform for allowing states to articulate their areas of concern in a joint forum before the Centre to ensure that these do not impede the larger process of development and nation-building, Capt Amarinder also sought tax incentives and promotional schemes to 30 kilometers border belt as is given to the hilly and north-eastern region.
He also called for special development and maintenance of border roads in Punjab under the National Highway programme.
Referring to the serious water crisis towards which Punjab was slowly moving, he urged the Centre to include Punjab’s rivers for capital assistance on the lines of Ganga Action Plan. He also sought approval for the state’s projects for upgradation of irrigation system and expeditious approval to Shahpur Kandi Dam project on river Ravi.
Underlining Punjab’s important role in the defence and food security of the nation, he made a strong case for debt relief for the farmers, pointing out that his government had already announced a scheme for institutional crop loan waiver in the state to all marginal and small farmers having outstanding crop loans up to Rs two lakh, thus providing relief to 10.25 lakh farmers.
The Chief Minister also sought procurement of alternate crops such as maize, oilseeds and pulses by central agencies, besides urging the Central Government to incentivize farmers through a conditional cash transfer by way of non-burning bonus of Rs 100 per quintal on paddy, in order to check the problem of burning of paddy straw.
While farm machinery was being subsidized for farmer groups and cooperative societies by his government, and stubble burning was down in 2017 from 2016, the problem, however, still remained serious, he added.
Referring to the centrally sponsored schemes, Capt Amarinder said that the Centre should identify certain national transformational programmes across key sectors of agriculture, education, health, water and urban governance which should be fully funded by the Centre with clear committed milestones and outcomes.
The Chief Minister also sought a review of the new system of reimbursement of Post-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Caste students, in order to ensure that poor SC students are not put to any disadvantage.