Punjab announces Rs 16 Cr relief for cold-hit farmers

Chandigarh, Mar 31 (UNI) The Punjab Government today announced a relief of Rs 16.35 crore to the farmers whose vegetable crop had been damaged by conditions of severe cold and frost in the state.

A decision to this effect was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today.

Media Advisor to the Chief Minister Harcharan Bains said that the step was aimed at providing succour to the farmers as a special measure.

"Cold and frost are not covered under the 11 categories of natural calamities specified by the Central Government. However, the Chief Minister was strongly of the view that any damage to crop due to conditions of weather ought to fall in this category.

Therefore, the Punjab government took a conscious decision to go beyond the existing norms to provide relief to the farmers," Mr Bains said.

Mr Bains further said that the Cabinet also decided to mobilise additional resources for revamp and rejuvenation of the 150 years old canal system by charging one per cent more infrastructure fee on the purchase of foodgrains. The fee would be borne exclusively by the Central Government.

He clarified that the farmers would not have to bear any burden for being the beneficiaries of this decision.

The Cabinet also decided to revive and fill 244 posts of Physical Training Instructors in the classical and vernacular cadre in the directorate of secondary education. The appointments would be on contract basis.

The Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval for reinclusion of 10 villages namely Addi, Balagan, Kamalpur Afgana, Hardochaani, Aluna, Nurpur, Bhopar Saidan, Hassanpur, Alar Pindi, Baupur Afgan to Gurdaspur block and addition of seven villages of block Dinanagar namely Jogar, Sander, Behrampur, Majithi, Kothe Majithi, Pasial and Samsherpur to block Dorangla.

UNI PS JS2011