New Delhi, February 14
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to implement the Special Development Package of Rs 2,040 crore to place the economy of the state on a high growth trajectory and increase in the MSP of wheat to Rs 700 per quintal.

Divulging the components of the package, Amarinder said that a sum of Rs 760 crore would be spent on rural infrastructure, Rs 630 on urban infrastructure, Rs 100 crore on agriculture research and development, Rs 340 crore on roads, Rs 100 crore on power and Rs 110 crore on education. This package had pressed for over and above the annual plan of Rs 4000 crore for 2006-07.

Apart from this the Chief Minster urged the Prime Minister to allow MoU route for private investment in major power generation projects. He also requested the Prime Minister for the immediate release of funds to the tune of Rs 254 crore for various proposals already submitted to the GoI under the Sri Guru Ram Das Development Project, Amritsar.

Capt Amarinder Singh urged Manmohan Singh to advise the Agriculture Ministry to increase the Minimum Support Price of wheat from Rs 650 to Rs 700 per quintal as it was the high time for the upward revision of the MSP as the agriculture inputs had grown up by 127 per cent and there had been only 57 per cent increase in the MSP that was not commensurate with the escalation in the terms of inputs as per the study undertaken by experts of PAU, Ludhiana.

He also met Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to press for a hike in the MSP of wheat.

The Chief Minister also urged the Prime Minister to expedite the projects announced by him during his visits to Punjab that included Rs 1120 crore four-laning of three important National Highways (280 km), Rs 5400 crore 1800 MW Doraha Gas Thermal Project, Rs 500 crore new airport of international standards at Halwara in Ludhiana district and Rs 4000 crore Express Highway from NCR to Amritsar on BOT basis.

Responding to the issues taken up by Amarinder Singh, the Prime Minister assured the Chief Minister that he would take up the matter with the ministries concerned to ensure the desired financial assistance was given to Punjab for the implementation of the package.

Mr Manmohan Singh said the Centre had already cleared Rs 4500 crore Rail Freight Corridor from Delhi to Amritsar. He mentioned that the proposal for setting up of a National Defence University and a National Institute of nano technology in Punjab was under the advanced stage of implementation.

He said that the Government of India had already given its approval for establishing a National Institute of Science and Research in the state. The Prime Minister also informed the Chief Minister that the State of Punjab would be allotted a share equivalent to 1500 MW in a super thermal plant to be set up by the NTPC at a cost pithead in Chhattisgarh that was likely to be commissioned in 2008.

The Prime Minister also informed Amarinder Singh that the proposal for setting up a Visa Center at Amritsar was also under the active consideration of the Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate the passengers travelling in buses from Amritsar to Lahore and Amritsar to Nankana Sahib from Amritsar.

The Prime Minister reiterated his firm commitment that the interests of the farming community would be safeguarded at every cost and assured Amarinder Singh for announcing adequate increase in the MSP of wheat at the earliest.