Chandigarh, July 14 (IANS) Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has announced waiver of Rs 590 crore worth of loans under the farm debt waiver scheme for labourers and the landless farming community, an official statement said on Wednesday.
This would pave the way for the fulfilment of another key promise of his government.
The cheques would be issued at a state-level function on August 20.
The government will pay off loans to the tune of Rs 590 crore of 285,325 members of the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), thus ensuring a relief of Rs 20,000 per member, said the statement quoting the chief minister.
He directed the Finance and Cooperation Departments to kick off the process for effective implementation of the decision on the ground.
The state government has formulated a Debt Relief Scheme for farm labourers and landless farming members of PACS, which will cover only consumption loan to the members advanced by district central cooperative banks of Punjab through primary agricultural cooperative societies.
The chief minister's announcements follow the waiver of the loans of farmers under the chief minister's flagship 'Debt Waiver Scheme.'
So far, loans of Rs 4,624 crore have been waived of 5.64 lakh farmers under the scheme, which was announced as part of the 2017 poll promises by the Punjab Congress.
In addition, loans of the Scheduled Caste and Backward Class categories have been written off up to Rs 50,000 each, including waiver up to Rs 58.39 crore of 6,405 beneficiaries by the Scheduled Caste Corporation and Rs 20.71 crore of 1,225 beneficiaries by the Backward Class Corporation.
On the occasion of Bhagat Kabir Ji Jayanti, the Chief Minister also announced that his government will soon disburse Rs 560 crore to the landless farm labourers under the Debt Waiver Scheme.
Custom officials at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here have seized 80 iPhones from two passengers arriving from Sharjah. They found the iPhones worth over Rs 1 crore while checking the luggage of the two passengers who had arrived by flight G9-458 on Wednesday.
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday approved Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) to operate the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport in the adjoining Thane-Raigad region, an official said here.
The session ensued a detailed discussion about the rising air pollution as well as the steps that need to be taken up by authorities as well as the community to manage the deteriorating air quality.
After Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met the party panel on the state in the national capital on Tuesday, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has stepped in to defuse the tension in the state unit. Gandhi has given utmost importance to the state, meeting stake holders who have sought time from him, said sources.
The Delhi police have arrested two men for breaking into a bank in Shahdara area and fleeing with nearly Rs 55 lakh, officials said. Police have also recovered hammer, chisel, and helmets from their possession.
