Chandigarh, March 31 (IANS) The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday gave nod for hiking the compensation due to unseasonal rains by 25 per cent per acre.
A decision to this effect was taken by the Council of Ministers at its meeting held here.
A spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office said keeping in view the loss incurred by the farmers due to rains, the Cabinet decided to enhance the relief amount from Rs 12,000 per acre to Rs 15,000 per acre for 76-100 per cent for loss of crops.
This measure will give a healing touch to the affected farmers who will be able to get a reasonable financial relief from the government. These relief rates will be applicable from March 1.
Keeping in view the larger public interest, the Cabinet also gave its consent to extend the exemption of 2.25 per cent stamp duty and fees to those registering their property or land by April 30.
Those opting for registration of land will now be exempted from one per cent additional stamp duty, one per cent PIDB fees and 0.25 per cent special fees.
It also gave approval for hiring 2,574 Kisan Mitras and 108 field supervisors in the Agriculture Department.
These Kisan Mitras and field supervisors will encourage the farmers to get out of the rut of wheat and paddy circle and cultivate less water guzzling crops like cotton and basmati.
This step will act as a catalyst to save groundwater by boosting crop diversification programme on one hand and providing employment to the youth of the state on the other.
Gurjot Singh Kaler, working as a senior police officer in Punjab as AIG (Excise and Taxation), was awarded with the Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh State Youth Award at the Hussainiwala Border in Ferozepur district on the anniversary of Bhagat Singh that falls on Thursday.
With the arrest of five men, the Crime Branch of Delhi Police has busted a racket that indulged in smuggling and selling skin of Royal Bengal Tigers, an official said on Wednesday. The accused have been identified as Amir Khan, Deepak Kumar, Mohit, Shivam Sisodia, and Rahul Rawat, all residents of NCR.
On expiry on Sisodia's ED custody, which was extended on March 17, he was produced before Special Judge M.K. Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court. The judge said: "We will send him to judicial custody till April 5." Sisodia is already in judicial custody in the corruption case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that reducing the regional divide is one of the key priority areas for India during its G20 presidency. Modi said this after inaugurating the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office and Innovation Centre in India at a programme in Vigyan Bhawan here.
The Chief Minister categorically said this move of the hill state's government is illegitimate and irrational. He said Punjab has legitimate right over the river waters and no one can snatch it from the state. The state will not pay even a single penny for the water flowing through its land.
In a video message, the Chief Minister said Punjab symbolises peace and progress as from this sacred land the great Sikh gurus have given the message of universal brotherhood and well-being of every section to the people.
