Capt Amarinder meets Modi to press for compensation for stubble burning
KS Diwan/ royalpatiala.in/ New Delhi
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for compensation to farmers in lieu of stubble burning, while also urging his intervention to ensure settlement of the Rs. 31000 crore CCL gap and assistance for the preparation of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji.
The Prime Minister was sympathetic to the problem of the farmers, said the Chief Minister, who has been pressing for Rs. 100 per quintal as compensation for the farmers to check the problem of stubble burning. Captain Amarinder Singh told Modi that the problem of stubble burning could get aggravated, despite various steps being taken by the state government, with the close of the harvest season, and needed to be urgently addressed.
The Chief Minister also took the opportunity to thank the Prime Minister for the central government’s decision not to disturb the 60:40 ratio with respect to appointment of officers in the UT of Chandigarh. It may be recalled that Captain Amarinder Singh had, in recent weeks, expressed his strong protest over the constant efforts being made to disturb the fine balance in sharing of officers and other resources between Haryana and Punjab that had been achieved over a period of time after a great deal of effort.
Giving details of the meeting, an official spokesperson of the Punjab government later said the Chief Minister had urged Modi to advise the Finance Ministry to urgently settle the Rs. 31000 crore CCL gap on the principle of shared responsibilities.
Citing similar commemorative events held in the past, when generous assistance packages were given by GoI to the state government, the Chief Minister reminded Modi of his assurance that the Centre would provide due assistance to the Punjab government to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji next year in a befitting manner. He urged the Prime Minister to issue suitable directions to the Ministry of Culture and the National Implementation Committee, instituted in June this year, to provide the necessary support to the state to make suitable arrangements for the event.
