Amarinder claims centre has given Rs 1044 cr package for farmers

Sangrur, Dec 23 (UNI) Giving a major relief to the Punjab farmers reeling under the burden of rural debt, the Union Government has approved a financial package of Rs 1044 crore, thereby conceding to the long pending demand of the state government.

Addressing mediapersons during his 'Vikas Rally' at Dhuri near here, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said that this financial package included One Time Settlement (OTS) of loans of commercial banks on one-to-one basis. This Settlement is to the tune of Rs 500 crore, he added.

Other portions of the package include cooperative rehabilitation package of Rs 544 crore to rehabilitate 800 defunct Punjab Agricultural Cooperative Service Societies in the border areas of the state. The rehabilitation package would also include Rs 210 crore as compensation to the cooperative banks for OTS benefit extended to the agricultural borrowers and interest subsidy on account of reduction of interest on cooperative loans from 9 per cent to 7 per cent.

Capt Singh further said that this financial package would benefit eight lakh agricultural borrowers who had taken loans from cooperative as well as commercial banks. He said that the state government had already implemented OTS scheme of Rs 210 crore to give relief to the agriculture borrowers in the cooperative sector and hoped that the government would soon announce a farmer friendly scheme to relieve the farmers from the burden of debt due to the loan raised from the Arhtiyas (commission agents).

Replying to another question,on fielding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the Congress candidate from Amritsar Parliamentary constituency, Capt Singh said that he would welcome if the PM expresses his desire to contest the election. ''Since Dr Singh has two to three years tenure as Rajya Sabha and I do not think that he would like to contest'', he said.

The Amritsar seat has fallen vacant after the resignation of BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a murder case by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

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