Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy son Sukhbir Badal on Monday met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to present the State’s case on financial package from the Centre.
Pleading for early resolution of various issues related to State’s economic development, the father-son duo has sought a “liberal financial package” to bail out the fund-starved Punjab from financial stringency. Besides, they have also sought special term loan waiver and refund of Rs 2,694 crore already paid by Punjab for fighting militancy.
Throwing light on the State of affairs of Government’s “empty” coffers, the Punjab Government has also sought Rs 5,000 crore as “non-plan grant” till the report of 14th Finance Commission is not released. If that is not enough, a comprehensive relief package worth Rs 2,330 crore has also been sought for tackling with drought.
Badals have sought Modi’s “personal and direct intervention” impressing upon him to grant a liberal financial package to save the State from financial stringency.
Pressing for the waiver of outstanding debt of Rs 1.02 lakh crore on account of militancy (between 1981 and 1992), Badal said: “Punjab fought the national battle for which it should not be penalised anymore.” He said that Punjab was a revenue surplus State till 1982, but due to burden of this debt coupled with industrial concessions to the neighbouring States, led to further flight of capital and stopped any fresh investments. “This accentuated our woes and pushed our State in the whirlpool of debt trap,” said Badal.
Pleading for a special term loan waiver and refund of Rs 2,694 crore paid by Punjab for fighting militancy, the Chief Minister said that the Central Government gave special term loan of Rs 5,800 crore for militancy-related expenditure and Punjab paid back Rs 2,694 crore.
“Rs 5,029 crore was outstanding when the Centre announced a complete waiver of the loan... Rs 2,694 crore, already paid by Punjab, should also be returned to the State as this was also part of the complete waiver,” argued Badal.
Seeking a waiver in the Central Government’s loans in view of State’s distressed financial position, Badal said that the 13th Finance Commission had already placed Punjab, Kerala and West Bengal in the category of revenue deficit States and recommended to the Centre to find out ways and means to bail out these states from financial stress.
“Now, the Central Government has again referred this vital issue to the 14th Finance Commission...Till the 14th Finance Commission gives a report, an amount of Rs 5000 crore as a non-plan grant be given for the current financial year,” added Badal. Making a strong case for special industrial package for the State, Badal urged Modi to grant industrial concession to Punjab at par with those granted to Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
“The concessions to neighbouring hill States have led to flight of industry from Punjab, and the State is not getting any new investment,” he said, while making it clear, “Punjab is not against giving concessions to these States, but at the same time, such concessions must be granted to Punjab.”
Seeking a comprehensive relief package worth Rs 2,330 crore for farmers of the State in view of deficit rainfall, Badal apprised Modi that owing to around 50 per cent deficit rain in Punjab, farmers spent extra money amounting to Rs 700 crore on deepening of tube-well, replacing of motors and diesel to run them.Punjab Power Corporation purchased extra power at higher cost to meet the demand. Centre had given a package of Rs 800 crore during a similar crisis in Kharif season 2009,” he said.
Urging the Modi to include actual land rent while fixing MSP, Badal also urged him to treat farmers as skilled labour and account their managerial costs and interest on borrowed capital for entire season, while fixing MSP. Pleading the case of giving MSP as per Swaminathan Formula, that is cost-plus-50 percent profit, Badal said that this would help in bailing out country’s distressed peasantry from agrarian crisis.
Batting for diversification as one of the ways to bail out state’s beleaguered farmers, Badal said that Central agency should procure maize and Basmati on the pattern of wheat and paddy at MSP. Flagging up another important issue, Badal impressed upon Modi that US Government may be requested to take strict action against hate crimes against Sikhs there.
“These incidents have created a grave sense of insecurity in the minds of Sikh community living abroad and matter needed to be addressed on top priority,” said Badal requesting Modi to take up this issue with his counterparts in other countries and to take up the matter with the US authorities during the course of his forthcoming US visit.
Highlighting sensitive issue of some overseas Punjabis whose names featured on the Centre’s blacklist of Indian nationals, Badal urged Modi to direct Union Ministry of Home Affairs to put in place a mechanism for regular review of all such cases from time to time.
He impressed upon Modi to remove the names of persons from list against whom there were no cases or pending legal proceedings. Raising the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Badal urged Modi to set up a Commission of Inquiry headed by a Supreme Court judge for probing the entire conspiracy, including official and political patronage behind the massacre. “Commission should be asked to submit report within six months,” said Badal while demanding setting up of special dedicated courts to expedite delivery of justice where FIRs have been registered and challans presented.
Badal also sought re-investigation of all cases pertaining to the massacre that have been closed and thereafter challans be presented before the Special Dedicated Courts.“All complaints on which no action has been taken should be re-investigated and challans presented to the Special Dedicated Courts,” demanded Badal while impressing upon Modi to announce a Rehabilitation Package for all the riot victims.