Badal for setting up of social security commission for farmers and farm labourers

Chandigarh, January 24, 2014: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Financial Commissioner (Development) to explore the possibility of establishing a Social Security Commission for the farmers and the landless labourers in the state to enable them to meet their financial exigencies during their old age. 

A decision to this effect was taken by Badal in a meeting with the high level delegation of Bharti Kisan Union led by its President Balbir Singh Rajewal here at Punjab Bhawan this evening. 

Taking part in the deliberations, the Chief Minister asked the FCD to examine the Karnataka model in this regard so as to grant financial assistance to the farmers and landless labourers during the evening of their life.  He said that it was our bounden duty to help the hapless farmers and landless labourers by extending this facility so that they could spend their lives, especially the phase of old age with self respect and dignity. 

Conceding another demand of the delegation, the Chief Minister asked the Principal Secretary Power to immediately clear the case regarding the expenditure to be finalised for the Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) to enable the farmers to enhance their load capacity of the AP connections.  The Chairman PSPCL informed Mr. Badal that he would implement the VDS scheme from the date of issuance of notification to this effect.  The Chairman also told Badal that he will get the electronic meters installed outside the houses of the consumers in the villages through random checking to their satisfaction.  In case the checking staff found some faulty meters giving wrong readings would be immediately changed.  The Chairman also assured the members of the delegations that he would personally hold a meeting with them and his senior functionaries of PSPCL to reduce the backlog of the tubewell connections due for release under general category. 

The Chief Minister also asked the PSPCL to chalk out some policy for giving adequate compensation to the farmers, whose land was being wasted for the installation of high tension tower lines.  The delegation informed Badal that one to two kanals of their agricultural land was rendered unfit for cultivation due to these tower lines under which they could never plant trees or construct houses.  Badal also asked the Financial Commissioner Revenue to get the issue of charging stamp duty on the transfer of land from the owner to his legal heirs thoroughly examined. Likewise, the Chief Minister also directed the Principal Secretary Forests to cover all the sanctuaries with the barbed fence so as to protect them from the loss of life and damage caused to their crops by the wild animals.  He asked the PSF to constitute a joint committee of forest officials and representatives of the farmers so as to complete the work of fencing these sanctuaries in a time bound and transparent manner. 

Showing deep concern over the fixing of high collector rates across the state, the delegation demanded these rates to be reviewed immediately.  On this issue the FCR informed Badal that the revenue department had already asked all the Deputy Commissioners to review these rates and submit their report by the end of the current financial year.  He also asked the representatives of the delegation to be in touch with the DCs to get these rates rationalized, where they felt these were on higher side. 

Acceding to another demand to hold inquiry into the complaints of open sale of seeds, pesticides, fertilizers and agro-chemicals meant for the distribution to the farmers on subsidy in the market instead of giving it to the genuine beneficiaries, Badal asked the FCD to look into the entire case so that the erring officials involved in this scandal could be brought to be book.  The Chief Minister also desired that to ensure proper distribution of these agricultural inputs to the beneficiaries, the agriculture department should come out with the 24x7 helpline telephone number on which the complainants could register their complaints/grievances in this regard besides getting the lists of beneficiary farmers pasted at strategic points in the villages to arrest this trend of fake disbursement of agricultural inputs.  Badal reiterated his government’s commitment to implement the pro-farmer initiatives in right earnest so that the benefits meant for poor farmers must accrue to them at the ground level without any pilferage or siphoning into wrong hands. 

Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included FCR NS Kang, FCD Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary Forests DS Bains, Chairman PSPCL KD Chaudhry, Secretary Expenditure Jaspal Singh, Special Principal Secretary to CM Gurkirat Kirpal Singh. //punjab news live, punjab news online, punjab news, punjab news headlines, punjab breaking news, india news, punjab news, world news,

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