Govt tweaks debt waiver scheme

CHANDIGARH: The implementation of the first phase of the farm loan waiver scheme is likely to be delayed with the Punjab Government deciding to introduce a system of self-declaration on landholdings by the beneficiaries. It has also been decided to exclude from the scheme government employees and pensioners, who pay income tax.

File photo

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 15

The implementation of the first phase of the farm loan waiver scheme is likely to be delayed with the Punjab Government deciding to introduce a system of self-declaration on landholdings by the beneficiaries.

It has also been decided to exclude from the scheme government employees and pensioners, who pay income tax.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Chief Minister with party MLAs that saw the legislators training guns at the officers over implementing the scheme without keeping them in the loop.

Citing the process of self-declaration and verification while implementing other social schemes, the MLAs questioned as to why same parameters were not followed and why the officials relied on pro-Akali secretaries of the cooperative societies? They reasoned that the faulty procedure had invited strong criticism from various quarters.

Raising objections to the parameters adopted to select beneficiaries, the MLAs pointed out that there were cases wherein farmers with large landholdings had found mention among the beneficiaries, leaving the eligible farmers at the receiving end. Around 6,000 faulty cases were pointed out.

Some farmers with land in Rajasthan but holdings less than 2.5 acres in Bathinda were included and so were some NRIs. The CM assured the MLAs that steps would be taken to prevent the scheme misuse.

PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar, Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Punjab Mandi Board Chairman Lal Singh and MLAs Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Kuljit Singh Nagra, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon, Sangat Singh Gilzian and OP Soni were present.

‘No applause at Mansa event’

Today’s meeting saw MLAs and the CM wondering as to why the debt waiver scheme launch event in Mansa on January 7 failed to elicit any response from the crowd. “A move, which should have been welcomed with applause, failed to benefit the party due to faulty implementation by the officers concerned,” said an MLA.

368 farmers ended life in 10 months: BJP

Chandigarh: Releasing the Congress government’s “report card” on completion of 10 months, Harjit Singh Grewal, vice-president, state BJP, and Vineet Joshi, secretary, on Monday alleged that the CM had misused the government machinery, especially the police, during the recent civic elections in the state. They said: “Capt Amarinder Singh betrayed the farmers too. He took a U-turn on his commitment for a complete farm loan waiver. Distraught over being deceived, at least six farmers committed suicide the next day.” A party press release claimed that during the 10 months of the Congress government, 368 farmers committed suicide. “Amarinder had promised a complete farm loan waiver, Rs 10 lakh compensation for family of farmers committing suicide, free education for their children, but nothing has been done till now,” it said. TNS

‘Befooling industry’

Chandigarh: SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said the Congress was "playing fraud with the industrial sector by promising power at Rs 5 per unit, but actually delivering the same at even higher rates than those prevailing during SAD-BJP tenure". He said the proposed tariff plan, which was being promised for the past nine months, had cleverly cloaked the cost which would be borne by the industry. TNS