Special economic package for victims of terrorism: Dullo

Jalandhar, Oct 15 (UNI) The ruling Congress State president Shamsher Singh Dullo today claimed that the Centre would soon announce a special economic package for terrorism victims' families, small and marginal farmers and farm labourers of Punjab.

Talking to reporters here today, Mr Dullo said that he had met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and others in New Delhi about three months ago to raise the demand of rehabilitation packages to over 16,000 terrorism victims' families of Punjab on the lines of the package granted by the Centre to the 1984 riot victims.

He said that Ms Gandhi had favoured his demand and the matter had also been taken up by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The package is likely to be announced soon after completion of official formalities and file works, he added.

Mr Dullo said that during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Punjab recently, he again reminded him of the demand.

He said that the ruling party would also re-stress on the demand of economic packages to small and marginal farmers, farm labourers and other poor of similar stratum of the society.

He said that Dr Singh had already accorded a fair deal while granting central sanctions to Punjab for the state's development and he was confident that the ruling party's demand of the above packages would also be accepted and an announcement would be made soon.

The Congress state chief also reiterated the demand for an industrial package for the state on the line of one granted to neighbouring states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

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