Central scheme: Punjab lost ₹1,400 cr in 7 yrs
CHANDIGARH:The Punjab government has lost at least ₹1,400 crore in seven years as it failed to avail benefit of the Centre’s Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
The Union government launched the RKVY in 2007 as an umbrella scheme for ensuring holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors.
The state lost a whopping ₹1,000 crore of central funds since 2015-16 when the Centre converted the scheme from 100% grant-in-aid to a Centre-state venture, fixing the contribution of funds in the ratio of 60:40.
CHANDIGARH: In light of the ongoing strike by a group of rice millers, Punjab food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said the state government had slashed levy security from ₹10 lakh to ₹7.25 lakh. He added that the decision was taken to save farmers from any harassment and to meet demands of rice millers.
This was decided at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Ashu and rural development and panchayats minister, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa.
Prominent rice millers of the state, including the Gian Bharadwaj Group and the Rakesh Jain Group were present. “The entire levy security would be refundable now, against the previous system of ₹5 lakh refundable and ₹5 lakh non-refundable,” he added, saying this was a big respite for rice millers.
“Rice millers who apply before October 10, 2019, would be allotted paddy on priority and without pro rata cut, the quantum of the release orders of those millers will also be increased,” the minister said.
SECTION OF MILLERS TO BOYCOTT POLICY
PATIALA: Punjab Rice Millers Association has reiterated its call to boycott the Punjab Custom Milling Policy for paddy.
There is also a New Punjab Rice Millers’ Association.
The Punjab association also called a general House meeting in Kotkapura on October 15 and has decided that millers, affiliated to them, will neither provide gunny bags nor execute the shelling agreement for milling.