New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday sought a "liberal financial package" for his state from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Badal accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal called on Modi at his residence and sought a relief package of Rs 2,330 crore for farmers due to deficient monsoon which had forced them to spend an extra Rs 700 crore on
irrigation.
Taking up the case of outstanding debt waiver of Rs 1.02 lakh crore on account of militancy, Badal told Modi that Punjab fought the national battle for which it should not be "penalised" anymore.
He said that Punjab was a revenue surplus state till 1982 but due to the burden of this debt coupled with industrial concessions to neighboring states, it was pushed in the "whirlpool of debt trap".
He appealed for special term loan waiver and refund of Rs 2,694 crore paid by Punjab for fighting militancy. He also demanded restructuring of loan and moratorium on repayment for five years.
Making a case for special industrial package, Badal told the Prime Minister that Punjab must be given concessions at par with those granted to Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Comments
0 comment