Capt, Jakhar share bonhomie at Ambedkar birthday event
AMARINDER ROLLS OUT A SCHEME TO WAIVE LOANS OF MEMBERS OF THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND BACKWARD CLASSES
JALANDHAR: Three days after reports of a rift between Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh hit the headlines, the two were seen sharing a good chemistry at a state-level function to mark BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary on Saturday.
On Wednesday, Jakhar had left the CM’S office in a huff after he was reportedly asked by the security staff to leave his mobile phone outside. At the function, the two Congress leaders, who were seated next to each other on the stage, were seen exchanging words and documents with each other. Jakhar also accompanied the CM in his official chopper from Chandigarh and flew back with him.
Though the event was organised to mark the birth anniversary of the architect of the Constitution Ambedkar, all the eyes were on the two leaders. On Thursday, they were to share stage in Sangrur, where the CM didn’t turn up citing a snag in his chopper and asked Jakhar to distribute debt waiver cheques to farmers. The CM also was accompanied by ministers Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Charanjit Singh Channi and Aruna Chaudhary, besides Congress MP from Jalandhar Santokh Singh.
SC/BC LOAN WAIVER SCHEME LAUNCHED
The CM also rolled out a scheme to waive loans of members of the scheduled caste and backward class (SC/BC) categories by symbolically distributing no due certificates to 20 beneficiaries. The state government will waive loans up to ₹50,000 each taken from the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation and Punjab Backward Classes Land Development and Finance Corporation.
The waiver will benefit 15,890 people, who had taken loans up to March 31, 2017, including those who had defaulted on their payments. A total amount of ₹52 crore will be waived under the scheme.
‘ASSURES AMENDMENT FOR DALIT WELFARE’
The chief minister assured to implement the 85th amendment to the Constitution for the benefit of the Dalit community.
He also announced ₹20 crore for the Guru Ravidass Memorial, Hoshiarpur and a degree college for Jalandhar.