PUNJAB CM ANNOUNCES RS 1200 CR FOR RURAL LINK ROADS ETC, SLEW OF SC WELFARE PROJECTS

Amritsar, August 15: To mark the historic 75th Independence Day of the country, Punjab Chief Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday announced Rs.1200 crore worth of projects for the development of link roads, phirnis and roads, along with a slew of SC welfare programmes.

The Chief Minister further announced that an Act would soon be notified which would mandate budgetary spending on Dalit welfare equal to the percentage of SC population in the State, and the 85th Constitutional Amendment would be implemented in line with the judgements of the Supreme Court.

In order to facilitate ease of doing business, the Chief Minister also announced a new set of a whopping 1150 reforms for Medium & Small Enterprises (MSMEs). The details of these would be separately shared by the Department of Investment Promotion, he said.

He also announced that certain expensive medical procedures and tests like Dialysis, X-Rays etc would be made free at government hospitals. He also said that a Universal Health Insurance would be launched shortly.

Regularisation of all Safai Karamcharis working for the past over 10 years and increase in the monthly honorarium of Anganwadi Workers, Mini Anganwadi Worker and Helpers by Rs. 600, Rs. 500 and Rs.300 respectively were among other key announcements made by the Chief Minister.

A sum of Rs.1170 crore would be spent under the Punjab Nirman Programme for infrastructure development according to the felt needs of the people residing in the rural/urban areas, said the Chief Minister.

Referring to the welfare of landless farmers, the Chief Minister said that the state government would make payment of Rs. 520 crores to 2.85 lakh landless farmers under the Debt Relief scheme on the coming 20th August, the birth anniversary of late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Further, Debt Relief upto Rs. 50,000 would be shortly given to about 16,000 beneficiaries of SC and BC Corporation at a cost of Rs. 62 crore, he added.

The Chief Minister said a sum of Rs.5 crore would be earmarked for the development of area in and around Guru ki Wadali, the birthplace of the 6th Sikh Guru Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib ji in the vicinity of holy city of Amritsar.

Paying glowing tributes to the legendary martyr Madan Lal Dhingra, the Chief Minister announced that a memorial would be established in Amritsar City as a mark of homage to him.