Harpal Cheema seeks special industrial package for Punjab's border districts
Chandigarh, November 25
Submitting a comprehensive memorandum containing all the suggestions and demands of Punjab for the Union Budget 2023-24, state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday sought a special industrial package of Rs 2,500 crore for the development of border districts.
Key demands
- Resolution of the CCL issue in line with recommendations of 15th Finance Commission sub-committee
- Budgetary support of Rs 1,125 crore for assistance of Rs 1,500 per acre to farmers for leaving stubble-burning
- Vande Bharat trains from Amritsar to New Delhi and Bathinda to New Delhi
- Rail link between Rajpura and Chandigarh
Besides raising other major demands, including the resolution of Cash Credit Limit (CCL) issue in line with recommendations of 15th Finance Commission sub-committee, the state Finance Minister sought budgetary support of Rs 1,125 crore for assistance to farmers quitting stubble-burning.
He made these demands during a pre-budget meeting held with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi today.
He said Punjab being a border state with high stakes in national security needs to be considered along with other such areas in India as “Special Cases” to attract investors and industries. “A special package of Rs 2,500 crore be provided to the state for the development of the industrial sector in the border districts of Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, and Fazilka.
Raising the CCL issue, Cheema said the sub-committee notified by the 15th Finance Commission in its report has verified claims of the Government of Punjab amounting to Rs 6,155 crore. He demanded early resolution of the issue in line with the rightful claims of Punjab as stated in the sub-committee report.
Seeking a Rs 1,000-crore special assistance for modernisation of the police in the border districts, Cheema said Punjab needed to be equipped with the latest equipment and an adequate and well-trained police force to deal with the constant threats as it shared a 550-km-long border with a “hostile neighbour”.
(With inputs from PTI)
