Close X
Friday, November 1, 2024
ADVT 
India

Amarinder Singh Announces Total Waiver On Crop Loans For Small, Marginal Farmers

Darpan News Desk IANS, 19 Jun, 2017 12:12 PM
  • Amarinder Singh Announces Total Waiver On Crop Loans For Small, Marginal Farmers
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday announced total waiver of entire crop loans for small and marginal farmers in Punjab.
 
The loan waiver will for up to Rs 2 lakh for small and marginal farmers (up to 5 acres) and a flat Rs 2 lakh relief for all other marginal farmers, irrespective of their loan amount, thus paving the way for eventual total waiver of agricultural debts to implement another major poll promise of the ruling party.
 
Making the announcements during his speech in the Punjab assembly, the Chief Minister said the move would benefit a total of 10.25 lakh farmers of the state's 18.5 lakh farming families, including 8.75 lakh farmers having land up to 5 acres. 
 
"The initiative would provide double the relief announced by the states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra," Amarinder pointed out.
 
The decision is based on the interim report of an expert group, headed by eminent economist Dr T. Haque, which was tasked with suggesting ways and means to help the state's distressed farming community.
 
 
Making it clear that his government stood by its commitment to waive off the crop loans of the farmers, Amarinder said his government had also additionally decided to take over the outstanding crop loan from institutional sources of all the families of farmers who committed suicide in the state.
 
It has also decided to raise the ex-gratia for families of farmers committing suicide to Rs 5 lakh from the existing Rs 3 lakh. 
 
For debt relief to farmers for loans raised from non-institutional resources, the government has decided to review the 'Punjab Settlement of Agriculture Indebtedness Act' to provide the desired relief to the farmers through mutually acceptable debt reconciliation and settlement, which shall be statutorily binding on both the parties, the lender and the borrower.
 
"The government has already constituted a Cabinet Sub Committee to review this Act," Amarinder added.
 
The Chief Minister proposed that the Speaker may constitute a 5-member committee of the Vidhan Sabha to visit families of the suicide victims, ascertain the reasons for suicides and suggest further steps to be taken to check the menace.
 
He also told the assembly that his government had already decided to repeal Section 67 A of the Punjab Cooperative Societies Act, 1961, which provides for auction (kurki) of farmers' land.
 
 
Also asserting that his government's is committed to provide free power to farmers, he however, appealed to all big and well-to-do farmers of the state to give up power subsidy voluntarily.
 
Amarinder announced his decision to immediately give up the subsidy at his own farms to set a personal example, and appealed to his colleagues to do the same.

MORE India ARTICLES

NRI Husbands Left These Punjabi Brides, Never To Return

NRI Husbands Left These Punjabi Brides, Never To Return
Punjab women commission chairperson Paramjit Kaur Landran admits that abandoned wives can “grow old” fighting such cases. 

NRI Husbands Left These Punjabi Brides, Never To Return

Sushma Swaraj Agrees To Punjab Demand For New Passport Office

Sushma Swaraj Agrees To Punjab Demand For New Passport Office
The Centre has acceded to the Punjab government's request to open a passport office in Nawanshahr town and also look into the issue of blacklisted Sikh youths settled abroad, official sources said.

Sushma Swaraj Agrees To Punjab Demand For New Passport Office

Sulkhan Singh Named New UP DGP

Sulkhan Singh Named New UP DGP
In a major rejig of the Uttar Pradesh Police, the state government on Friday named 1980-batch Indian Police Service officer Sulkhan Singh the new Director General of Police in place of Javeed Ahmad.

Sulkhan Singh Named New UP DGP

Sister Of Triple Talaq Victim Warns Muslim Clerics She Will Adopt Hinduism

Sister Of Triple Talaq Victim Warns Muslim Clerics She Will Adopt Hinduism
The sister of a triple talaq victim has warned Muslim clerics that she will adopt Hinduism if they don’t set their house in order.

Sister Of Triple Talaq Victim Warns Muslim Clerics She Will Adopt Hinduism

Sikh Radicals Raise Khalistan Slogans, Clash With SGPC As Harjit Sajjan Visits Harmandir Sahib

Sikh Radicals Raise Khalistan Slogans, Clash With SGPC As Harjit Sajjan Visits Harmandir Sahib
The Canadian Defence Minister avoided the radical elements and was received by top SGPC functionaries, including its President Kirpal Singh Badungar, to a red carpet welcome

Sikh Radicals Raise Khalistan Slogans, Clash With SGPC As Harjit Sajjan Visits Harmandir Sahib

10 ISIS Suspects Held After Police Raids At Mumbai, Jalandhar, 4 Other Places

10 ISIS Suspects Held After Police Raids At Mumbai, Jalandhar, 4 Other Places
Ten suspected Islamic State sympathisers were arrested while several others were detained during joint anti-terror raids on Thursday in four states for plotting major terror strikes, a senior police officer said.

10 ISIS Suspects Held After Police Raids At Mumbai, Jalandhar, 4 Other Places