STATE LEVEL COMMITTEE DISSATISFIED WITH THE REPORTS OF DISTRICT LEVEL COMMITTEES ON INDEBTNESS RELIEF

Chandigarh, December 18, 2017: Taking a strict note of pendency in forwarding the cases of rendering Indebtness Relief to the kin of farmers and farm labourers affected by suicides, Mrs.Vinni Mahajan, FCR -cum- chairperson State Level Committee issued immediate directions to the Deputy Commissioners to clear the backlog and forward all the cases for sanction by January,2018.

The monthly review of approving sanctions for the eligible cases revealed that the Deputy Commissioners were sending Indebtness Relief cases dating back to 2014 which was not in consonance with the directions of Government pertaining to ‘rendering quick relief to the affected families’, informed the Chairperson. Moreover, State Level Committee observed that the reports of District Level Committees formed under the Chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, to verify the cases, lacked requisite details.

The Chairperson said that it was observed that many of the reports by Chief Agriculture Officers were hushed up to the State Level Committee via respective DCs, without the signatures of all the members of the District Level Committees. In certain cases supporting documents were missing and in others there was data entry mismatch, said she. The Chairperson said that such errors invite un-called for delay and obstructs the path of rendering relief to the affected families. Therefore, DCs have been directed to cross check all the details and adhere to the guidelines in letter and spirit.

In the course of meeting as many as 46 cases for rendering Indebtness Relief to the kin of farmers and farm labourers affected by suicides were accorded sanctions worth Rs. 134 lac. These include 17 cases from Sangrur , 12 cases from Mansa, 07 cases from Sri Mukutsar Sahib, 05 cases from Amritsar , 02 cases each from Ferozepur and Bathinda, and 1 from Faridkot. Amongst the sanctioned cases there are 3 cases of the year 2014, 02 cases of 2015, 07 cases of 2016 and 34 cases of 2017.

It may be recollected that the State Level Committee had also issued sanctions amounting to Rs. 260 Lac in the last month for 92 cases, after the directions from the Government to put the entire process on fast-track.