Punjab Cong thanks Sonia, PM for farm loan waiver

Chandigarh, Mar 4 (UNI) The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) today expressed to the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram for presenting the historic farmer-friendly Budget.

It was for the first time in the history of independent India that the agrarian economy has been given so much preference and importance, a resolution passed in a meeting of the PPCC here stated.

The meeting presided over by PPCC chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was attended by all office bearers, present and former MPs and MLAs and district committee members.

Presiding over the meeting Mrs Bhattal said that the unprecedented relief of Rs 60,000 crore to the small and marginal farmer spoke volumes of the concern of the UPA-government under the leadership of Ms Gandhi.

Refering to the reported statement of Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal that only 29 per cent of the states farmers would benefit from the relief package, she pointed out that the CM was contradicting his own Chief Secretary who had stated that 70 per cent of the states farmers would benefit.

She said that the Punjab Congress was preparing a comprehensive programme for the landless, the scheduled castes and the economically weaker sections of the society. Their case would be taken up with the Union Government appropriately, she disclosed.

She called upon the party rank and file to unitedly and whole-heartedly get ready for the forthcoming Panchayat and Municipal elections.

Mrs Bhattal said that more than 3000 farmers and Congress workers from Punjab will participate in the thanks giving rally of the PPCC at Ram Lila Ground in Delhi on March nine.

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