Amarinder seeks PM's support for Punjab's agrarian, industrial crisis

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support to tackle the agrarian crisis in the state and promoting the state's industrial development to revive its economy and enable job creation.

Amarinder, who met the Prime Minister in New Delhi, sought the centre's support for resolution of his state's agrarian crisis.

"He requested the Prime Minister's intervention to settle the Rs 31,000 crore debt, resulting from the CCL (cash credit limit) legacy gap of Rs 12,500 crore and the exorbitant interest of Rs 18,000 crore imposed on it by the centre," a spokesperson for the Chief Minister said in Chandigarh.

Amarinder Singh pointed out that the debt would require Rs 3,240 crore to be spent every year on debt servicing for the next 20 years at the cost of the welfare schemes for the people.

On the CBI investigation into cases of sacrilege and targeted killings of RSS, Hindu and Shiv Sena leaders taking place in Punjab since January 2016, the Chief Minister noted that despite their best efforts, the central and state police and intelligence agencies had failed to make a breakthrough.

He requested that the central intelligence and investigation agencies be instructed to augment their efforts to trace these cases, especially in view of recent inputs indicating plans of militant and radical organisations and individuals to launch more such targeted attacks in Punjab.

Amarinder urged the Prime Minister to help in the revival of Punjab's economy through industrial development. Industry in the state has moved base to other states, especially nearby hill states where tax holiday was available under a central government scheme.

--IANS

js/vd