Independence Day ADDRESS

6L jobs, Rs 2,500 cr for rural areas in 2 yrs : Punjab Chief Minister

Will give Rs 520 crore debt waiver to landless farmers & labourers, promises Capt

Tribune News Service

Mohali, August 16

Vowing not to rest till he puts the state’s economy back on the track, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday announced a slew of welfare measures for people, including facilitation of another six lakh jobs for the youth over the next two years, of which one lakh would be in the government sector.

‘Ready to tackle Pakistan, China’

Punjab will always be at the forefront of fighting the enemy on the borders. While Pakistan continues to resort to firing every day, China, on the other hand, talks about friendship but remains a threat to the nation.— Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister

In his Independence Day address at Phase 6, Mohali, the Chief Minister said 50,000 government jobs would be provided to the youth in the financial year 2021 and another 50,000 in the financial year 2022. He also announced a virtual mega job mela next month with a target of placement of 50,000 youth in the private sector. He said his government had already helped 13.60 lakh youth get gainful employment/self-employment under the flagship ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar’ scheme. While reiterating his government’s commitment to incentives for the industry to attract more investment, the Chief Minister said Rs 63,000-crore investment had already been realised on the ground with a potential of two lakh jobs in the state.

Punjab Police personnel take part in a parade at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium in Jalandhar on Saturday. Tribune Photo: Malkait Siingh

Over the next few months, the government would also give a debt relief to the tune of Rs 520 crore to landless farmers and workers, the Chief Minister said, pointing out that Rs 4,700 crore had already been disbursed to 5.62 lakh farmers under the debt waiver scheme of the government.

Capt Amarinder said with the launch of the Smart Ration Card scheme, as many as 1.41 crore beneficiaries would become eligible to get ration from fair price shops. He also announced the construction of 1,300 km of state and national highways with an investment of over Rs 12,000 crore in the next two years. The Chief Minister announced the construction of 750 rural sports stadia across in the next two years. He also announced Rs 2,500-crore investment over the next two years in the phase II of the Smart Village Campaign. Another Rs 1,046 crore will be spent under the Urban Environment Improvement Programme.

Key announcements

6 lakh jobs, including 1 lakh in the government sector, will be provided by 2022.
Rs 520-crore debt relief will be given to landless farmers and workers in the next few months.
Smart ration card scheme to be launched soon. As many as 1.41 crore people will be covered under it.
750 rural sports stadiums in the next two years.
New land leasing law to secure ownership of farmers to be enacted soon.
Rs 1,046 crore to be spent under the Urban Environment Improvement Programme till 2022.
Construction of 1,300 km of state and national highways in the next two years.