Badal for early enactment of Punjab Indebtedness Act

Chandigarh, August 26, 2013: To save the farmers and farm labourers from the undue exploitation at the hands of money lenders, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today decided to constitute a Cabinet Sub-Committee for expeditiously paving away for enactment of Punjab Indebtedness Act, which had been pending for implementation since long.
A decision to this effect was taken by Badal in a meeting with the delegation of Bharti Kisan Union led by its State President Ajmer Singh Lakhowal here at Punjab Bhawan this evening.
The Chief Minister asked the Financial Commissioner Revenue to put up a comprehensive proposal in the next Cabinet meeting for the composition of Cabinet Sub-Committee along with the draft bill for its consideration.
Referring to the issue of direct payment to the farmers, the Chief Minister directed the Financial Commissioner Development to widely publicize in the media through inserting advertisements for seeking option from the farmers for direct payment of their produce to them. He further desired that the notice period of 45 days should also be reviewed keeping in view the experience of direct payment during the current Kharif marketing season.
Conceding to another demand of the union, Badal also desired that the Punjab Securities of Land Act, 1953 should be suitably amended forthwith so that the prevalent market land lease rates were reflected while working out the cost of cultivation of crops for fixation of Minimum Support Price Commission of Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP) of GoI.
The Chief Minister also assured the delegation that he would soon again take up the matter with Centre for allowing the Punjabi farmers to buy agricultural land in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, which have banned such property transactions by outsiders. He asked the FCD to prepare a detailed proposal in this regard for sending it to the Inter State Council for its early resolution.
To popularise the concept of rain water harvesting in the state, the Chief Minister said that it should be made mandatory in the Government buildings especially in the educational and technical institutions. The Chief Engineer Canals apprised the Chief Minister that the State Irrigation department had already submitted a detailed project report to GoI for Rs. 3769 crore for recharging of ground water, for which Badal had already taken up this matter with the Planning Commission of India for giving one time grant-in-aid to Punjab so that the depletion of ground water could be checked effectively. The project was with the Central Water Commission, GoI for technical appraisal.  
Assuring marketing of Basmati towards the promotion crop diversification program, the Chief Minister said that he would impress upon the Ministry of Agriculture, GoI to designate a nodal agency for ensuring marketing of basmati on the lucrative price.
Badal said that he had already ordered to include River Ghaggar and Lasara drain in the River Conservation Program along with river Satluj, Beas and Ravi in order make these rivers and drains pollution free from the Municipal waste (sewerage) and Industrial effluents by setting up Sewerage Treatment Plants.
The Chief Minister also asked the Chairman PSPCL to ensure the release the AP connections to the farmers within 90 days from submission of test reports. Similarly, the connections under OYT scheme and general should be released expeditiously as per policy. He also directed the Chairman to extend the date for deposit of money for the release of tubewell connections from August 31, 2013 to November 15, 2013 to facilitate the farmers to deposit money with ease after the getting payment on the sale of their Kharif crops.
Prominent among others who were present in the meeting Financial Commissioner Revenue NS Kang, Financial Commissioner Development Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary Irrigation Sarvesh Kaushal, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Gaggandip Singh Brar, Secretary Food & Civil Supplies DS Grewal, Secretary Mandi Board Deepinder Singh, MD Markfed KS Sran, Registrar Cooperative Societies AS Miglani, Commissioner Agriculture Dr. BS Sidhu, Chairman PSPCL KD Chaudary and Chief Engineer Canals AS Dullat.