by Punjabnewswire4u (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH,
SEPT 11
Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh
Badal today directed the
Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. (PSPCL) to formulate a new policy for
2012-13 to grant fresh tubewell connections to the marginal and small farmers
on priority
A
decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Mr. Badal held here
at CMO this afternoon to review the issues related to the agriculture sector in
general and for the welfare of farmers in particular which was also attended by
the Chief Secretary and the senior officers of the state government.
According to the spokesperson of the
Chief Minister’s Office, Mr. Badal monitored the progress of Agriculture,
Power, Finance, Revenue, Co-operation and Welfare departments especially in
context of the pending issues related to the farm sector.
Mr.
Badal categorically said that the state government was committed for the
welfare of beleaguered peasantry which was already facing lot of hardships due
to squeezed margins of profitability on account of non remunerative MSP. He
asked the officers present in the meeting to resolve these issues to the
satisfaction of the farmers on the top priority.
On
the issue of pending arrears of Rs.357 crore on account of Tubewell Bills
relating to the period when tariff was imposed on farm sector, the Chief
Minister was informed that the state government had reimbursed PSPCL on this
count, which had taken off these arrears from the accounts of the concerned
farmers.
Regarding
the issue of land acquisition for the Gobindpura Thermal plant in Mansa
district, the Chief Minister directed that the process of giving a job to an
eligible member of the family whose land had been acquired for the setting of
the plant should be expedited. Likewise,
the compensation package of Rs.3 lakh for the family of landless labourers
should also be granted forthwith. Mr.
Badal also directed for a quick disposal of matter relating to exchange of land
and its de-notification in a time bound manner.
Referring
to the issue of suicides committed by farmers, the Chief Minister asked the
Financial Commissioner Revenue to examine all such cases for prompt payment of
compensation as per the prescribed norms forthwith. In this regard, he directed the
compensation of two installments of Rs.1 lakh each should be released
immediately and in future such cases would be jointly verified by the deputy
commissioner and SSP within one month. Compensation
of Rs.6 lakhs for the farmers who were injured during the protest was also
released out of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to Deputy Commissioner Mansa for
disbursement. Mr.
Badal also directed the Chief Secretary to regularly monitor the progress of
the issues pertaining to the peasantry to instill a sense of confidence and
security besides updating him on time to time. He also said that he was ever ready
to take up these issues with the Government of India (GoI) at concerned
Ministry’s level for early resolution, if the officers needed his intervention
at any point of time.
It
was also decided in the meeting to give a job to the next of kin of eight
persons who lost their lives in various farm agitations across the state and
also of the two persons who were killed in police action at village Akalian in
district Mansa at the earliest.
Prominent
amongst other present in the meeting included Chief Secretary Mr. Rakesh Singh,
Financial Commissioner Revenue Mr. Navneet Singh Kang, Financial Commissioner
Development Mr. GS Sandhu, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. SK Sandhu,
Principal Secretary Home Mr. DS Bains, Secretary Power Mr. Anirudh Tiwari,
Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Gagandip Singh Brar and CMD
PSPCL Mr. KD Chaudhary. 
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