Badal announces series of welfare schemes for weaker sections

Chandigarh, Mar 28 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced a series of welfare measures for the weaker sections, including a loan waiver for members of the SCs and backward classes (BCs).

Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the Governors Address, Mr Badal said this scheme would be implemented as a ''One Time Settlement'' and would entail an expenditure of Rs 13.89 crore.

It would benefit 25,000 persons across the state and the norms for the waiver would be issued in a day or two, he added.

Regarding the 'Shagun scheme' that was launched in 1997 by the then SAD-BJP government, Mr Badal said his government had decided to raise the amount of Shagun to Rs 15,000 from Rs 5100. This would increase the budgetary provision from Rs 60 crore to Rs 90 crore, he added.

He further said that his government would construct 10,000 houses under the scheme for SC Houseless Families and spend Rs 50 crore on this in the next fiscal year.

The Chief Minister categorically said the state government was committed to provide single window service to the SCs at each district headquarter Ambedkar Bhawan. An amount of Rs 8 crore would be spent to complete the remaining construction work of these bhawans against the allocation of Rs 1.5 crore by the previous government, he added.

He pointed out that the previous government only released Rs 442 crore against the provision of Rs 1154 crore during 2006-07 under the Special Component Plan. Adequate funds would be released for the construction and repair of SC Dharamshalas and free distribution of text books to the SC students from first to tenth standard would be given priority.

The poor, dalit and backward children who were completely deprived of quality education would be imparted free education under the ''Adarsh Schools'' scheme, he added.

In his reply to a question the Chief Minister dwelt on what he described as ''an exceedingly bleak economic situation in Punjab'', and said the state's entire plan was funded by borrowings and central assistance. ''Even non-plan expenditure is being met only through borrowings and the state is reeling under a heavy debt burden which is likely to rise to Rs 53,000 crore by the end of this fiscal year'', he said while claiming that the policies adopted by the previous government had prooved disasterous for the state's economy.

Mr Badal belied the tall claims of previous government about the improvement in the fiscal position. ''On the contrary we inherited a sagging economy that had registered a growth rate of less than two per cent against 8.99 per cent at the national level during 2005-06'', he added.

Clarifying his stand on the rivers water issue, Mr Badal blamed the previous Congress governments at the Centre for always meting out step motherly treatment to Punjab . The riparian principle was followed everywhere in the country and in the rest of the world, but this principle was violated in case of Punjab, he said.

On the power front, Mr Badal lamented that the Congress government during its last tenure and its earlier five years had not even added a single unit. He said his government was determined to make Punjab self-sufficient in power in less than five years and would add 800 MWs power within next six months.

Outlining the priorities of his government in the power sector, Mr Badal said farmers holding land upto 5 acres and in water logged areas would be given tubewell connections on priority.

All the 12,000 deras, dhannis and cluster of 5 families or 25 persons would get 24 hours power supply, he assured.

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