Punjab News- CM and Deputy CM calls on Modi; Seek liberal financial package for state

New Delhi, September 22, 2014: Seeking personal and direct intervention of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today impressed upon him to grant a liberal financial package for bailing out the state from the financial stringency in order to fuel its development projects for putting the state into the orbit of high growth trajectory.

The Chief Minister accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today called on the Prime Minister at his official residence this evening to plead for the early resolution of the various issues related to state’s economic development.

Taking up the case of outstanding debt waiver of Rs 1.02 lakh crore on count of militancy, the Chief Minister said that Punjab fought the national battle for which it should not be penalised anymore. He also said that Punjab was a Revenue surplus state till 1982 but due to the burden of this debt coupled with Industrial concessions to the neighboring states led to further flight of capital and stopped any fresh investments thereby accentuating our woes and pushing our state in the whirlpool of debt trap.

Urging for Special Term Loan waiver and refund of  Rs. 2694 crore paid by Punjab for fighting militancy, the Chief Minister said that Government of India (GoI) gave Special Term Loan of Rs 5800 crore for militancy related expenditure and Punjab paid back Rs 2694 crore. He said that Rs. 5029 crore was outstanding when the Government of India (GoI) announced a complete waiver of the loan adding that Rs 2694 crore already paid by Punjab also needed to be returned to Punjab as this was also part of the complete waiver.

The Chief Minister also urged Modi for waiver of the centre government loans in view of state’s distressed financial position. Mr. Badal pointed out that the 13th Finance Commission had already placed the states of Punjab, Kerala and West Bengal in the category of Revenue Deficit states and it recommended to the Union government to find out ways and means to bail out these states from financial stress. Now the Government of India (GoI) has again referred this vital issue to the 14th Finance Commission. “Till the 14th Finance Commission gives a report, an amount of Rs 5000 crore as a non-plan grant be given for the current financial year” added Badal.

The Chief Minister also sought the waiver of conditions imposed by the 13th Finance Commission on the resetting of interest on small saving loans at 9% instead of 9.5% and 10.5%. He also demanded restructuring of loan and moratorium on repayment for five years.

Making a strong case for Special Industrial Package for the state, the Chief Minister urged Modi that Punjab must be given Industrial Concessions at par with those granted to Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh (HP) and J&K. He said that the state has not yet recovered from this set back and on the other hand the Union government has extended these concessions to the hilly states till 2017, which has led to flight of capital and existing industry from the state adding that fresh investments have stopped coming to the state. Badal said that Punjab was not against giving concessions to these states but at the same time such concessions must be granted to Punjab.

Seeking a comprehensive relief package worth Rs 2330 crore for farmers of the state in view of the deficit rain fall, the Chief Minister apprised Modi that owing to around 50% deficit rain in Punjab, the farmers spent extra money amounting to Rs.700 crore on deepening of tube-well, replacing of motors and diesel to run them adding that the Punjab Power Corporation purchased extra power at higher cost to meet the demand. He said that GoI had given a package of Rs. 800 crore during a similar crises in Kharif season 2009.

Urging the Prime Minister to include actual land rent while fixing the MSP, the Chief Minister also urged him to treat the farmers as skilled labour and account their managerial costs and interest on borrowed capital for entire season, while fixing the MSP. Pleading the case of giving Minimum Support Price (MSP) as per Swaminathan Formula (Cost + 50% profit), Badal said that this would help in bailing out the distressed peasantry of the country from the agrarian crisis.

Batting for diversification as one of the ways to bail out the beleaguered farmers of the state, the Chief Minister said that Central Agency should procure maize and basmati on the pattern of  wheat and paddy at MSP.

Flagging up another important issue the Chief Minister impressed upon Modi that the US Government may be requested to take strict action against hate crimes against the Sikhs in the US. He said that these incidents have created a grave sense of insecurity in the minds of members of the Sikh community living abroad and the matter needed to be addressed on top priority. Badal requested the Prime Minister to take up this issue with his counterparts in other countries and to take up the matter with the US authorities during the course of his forthcoming visit to that country to ensure that strict action was taken against those indulging in hate crimes against the Sikhs and a sense of security was ensured for the latter.

Highlighting the sensitive issue of some overseas Punjabis whose names featured on the blacklist of Indian Nationals maintained by the GoI, Badal also urged the Prime Minister to direct the Ministry of Home Affairs to put in place a mechanism for regular review of all such cases from time to time. He impressed upon Modi to remove the names of persons from list against whom there were no cases or legal proceedings pending against them.

The Chief Minister also called upon Modi to direct the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for granting Indian citizenship to the several Sikhs and Hindus, who have migrated from Afghanistan over the past few years to the country. Likewise, Badal also sought Prime Minister’s intervention to issue necessary instructions to the MEA for relaxation in visa norms for granting visa to the Punjabis who took asylum in several countries across the globe.

Raising the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Chief Minister informed Modi that more than 3000 Sikhs were killed and their properties looted by organised groups belonging to the then ruling party and during these state sponsored massacres the law enforcing agencies under the pressures from their higher ups failed to protect the lives, properties and dignity of the Sikhs in those riots. He said that the successive Congress governments have failed to provide justice to the victims as no proper investigation was carried out adding that to further accentuate the woes of Sikhs the perpetrators of the massacre were rewarded with high constitutional posts by the successive Congress Governments, which thwarted every effort to provide justice.

The Chief Minister urged Modi to set up a Commission of Inquiry, headed by a Supreme Court judge, for probing the entire conspiracy, including official and political patronage behind the massacre. He said that the Commission should be asked to submit report within six months. Likewise, Badal also demanded that special Dedicated Courts should be set up to expedite the delivery of justice where FIRs have been registered and challans presented.

The Chief Minister also impressed upon Modi that all cases pertaining to the massacre that have been closed should be re-investigated and thereafter challans be presented before the Special Dedicated Courts. He also said that all complaints on which no action has been taken should be re-investigated and challans presented to the Special Dedicated Courts. Badal also impressed upon the Prime Minister to announce a Rehabilitation Package for all the riot victims.

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