Chandigarh, Nov 10 (IANS) In a bid to provide financial relief to cotton farm labourers, the Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday approved the policy formulated for extending relief to the families of cotton-picking farm labourers affected by the damage caused to the crop by the pink bollworm disease.
With this decision, 10 per cent of total compensation to be given to the farmers on this count would be provided to the families of cotton picking farm labourers affected by the pest attack on cotton crop.
On the issue of Post-Matric SC Scholarship Scheme, the Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Charanjit Channi, deliberated up on the hardships faced by students who are beneficiaries of the scheme.
It was highlighted that this scheme was shared between the Centre and the state government in the ratio of 60:40. However, the Centre stopped giving its share from 2016 onwards under this scheme.
Resultantly, the Cabinet decided the state government would bear its liability of 40 per cent amounting to Rs 433.96 crore since 2017-18, to be released in two installments during 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The Cabinet also gave approval to scrap the fee capping, thereby keeping the fee of students belonging to the Scheduled Caste on par with the general category students.
The agitated farmers are demanding the repeal of the three farm laws passed by Parliament last year and have expressed apprehension that they would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporate houses.
US Vice President Kamala Harris has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that she was asking Pakistan to act on terrorism and ensure that terror groups do not target New Delhi or Washington, according to India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
The BJP, which had been politically attacking Amarinder Singh in the last several years, has launched blistering attacks against Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and the Congress high command (Gandhi family) with the help of Amarinder Singh's recent comments against Sidhu and the Congress.
Rahul Gandhi met Channi along with the party's Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat and General Secretary K.C. Venugopal late on Thursday. Before that, Rahul held a separate meeting with Rawat.
According to orders, he would also be the Principal Secretary, Personnel and Vigilance, besides Financial Commissioner, Development, and Principal Secretary, Food Processing, Horticulture and Governance Reforms and Public Grievances.
Senior SAD leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra, Maheshinder Grewal and Daljit Cheema on Tuesday said it was most unfortunate that even after admitting that some wrong elements wanted to defame the 'kisan sangharsh', Rajewal had neither secured an unconditional apology from those guilty of hooliganism nor subjected them to the process of law.
