Bizmen, NGO write to govt to include their demands in ensuing budget
Ahead of the state budget, city based farmer, business organisation and NGO write to finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema to incorporate their demands in the forthcoming budget which is to be tabled in the assembly at the fag end of this month. Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala, a farmer leader, said agriculture provides employment to 60 percent people in Punjab and contributes 30 percent in the state GDP but the budget allocation is meager. Demanding its extension to at least 20 percent of the entire budget, he said a separate budget for signing off debt of farmers should also be allocated. Revolving fund should be Rs 25,000 crore so that the government can procure main vegetables potato, onion, cauliflower, crops like Basmati, maize and pulses. These measures will rejuvenate water table and consolidate economy and youth will get employment.
More emphasis should be given on canal water so that every field of farmers should be irrigated through natural water besides it will bring down power load on tubewells. River water through canals should replace piped drinking water in Punjab which has become contaminated. The budget should be spent to strengthen the animal husbandry, industry for animal feed should be set up, milk per fat procurement price should not be less than Rs 10. Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, an umbrella organisation of traders and industrialists, in a communiqué to the Finance minister urged to incorporate their demands, including stamp duty waiver on bank loans and mortgage property, equalisation of power tariff rates with neighbouring states in the forthcoming budget.
Their other demands included expeditious Implementation of the Patti Makhu Rail Link Project, establishment of modern trading hubs, promoting innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness within the trading sector and will contribute to employment, provision of medical insurance for registered traders, facilitation of fire insurance for traders, mentorship program for development of traders. Amritsar Vikas Manch in a letter to Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Principal Secretary Finance demand them to allocate budget for long-pending and prestigious projects of the holy city. Its members sought at least Rs 50 crores to make /”Amritsar Cultural and Tourism Development authority/” functional, funds to shift the ISBT out of city, bus services to connect Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee international Airport Amritsar with other prominent cities of the state, Rs 500 crore for raising a multi-storey parking in Jahazgarh area to make provisions for parking 5000 cars. Government must draft a comprehensive plan to shift Bhagtanwala grain market outside the city.
