‘Punjab should have been 1st to get special package for farming’

› Maharashtra has an industrial base and is a rich state. Punjab should have been the first state to get the special package as the state ensures food security of the country.

MANPREET SINGH BADAL, Punjab finance minister

BATHINDA: Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Wednesday said that Punjab should have been the first state to get a ‘special package’ for addressing agriculture related issues. Talking to reporters during the start of the second phase of farm-debt waiver programme, Manpreet was asked about Centre, reportedly going to sanction ₹13,650 crore to Maharashtra to address agrarian distress in 14 districts.

Manpreet said, “Maharashtra has an industrial base and is a rich state. Punjab should have been the first state to get the special package as the state ensures food security of the country.”

In the second phase of the waiver, 7,213 farmers with less than 2.5 acres and farm loan of less than ₹2 lakh have been extended debt benefit in Bathinda district.

The government expenditure on this would be ₹29.1 crore. In the first phase, ₹38.3 crore were spent on 12,560 farmers.

“We hope to disburse ₹10,000 crore to 10.25 lakh eligible farmers by the end of September. This includes ₹4,000 crore of cooperative banks and ₹6,000 crore of private and nationalised banks,” the state FM added.

Some anganwadi workers and helpers, protesting outside Manpreet’s office in the city for the past 94 days, scaled the boundary walls of the venue of the function and tried to disrupt proceedings.

Police had a tough time in controlling protesters. Later, they had to be bundled into buses and removed from the spot. As many as 26 protesters were detained and were released later. Anganwadi employees, under the banner of the All-punjab Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, are demanding that anganwadi workers and helpers should be paid ₹10,000 and ₹5,000 per month as salary. Their present salary is ₹5,600 and ₹2,800.