Punjab Budget: Rs 2,000 cr crop loan waiver, power subsidy of Rs 8,275 cr for farmers

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 28

Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal announced a crop loan waiver of Rs 2,000 crore in his budget speech on Friday. 

The government announced a power subsidy of Rs 8,275 crore for farmers in 2020-21.

An allocation of Rs 12,526 crore was granted to the Agriculture sector.  

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Key highlights:

• A new cattle feed plant to be commissioned in Kapurthala 
• Rs 25 crore allocated for the strengthening of cattle pound infrastructure to solve the problem of stray cattle menace
• Rs 2,000 crore allocated for a crop loan waiver, including Rs 520 crore for farm labourers
• A veterinary college and regional research centre to be set up at Sappanwali in Fazilka.
• Rs 20 crore allocated for crop residue management, to give subsidy to farmers who do not burn stubble. 
• Rs 200 crore allocated for agriculture diversification. Government to promote maize; sugar mills at Gurdaspur and Batala to be upgraded. 
• Rs 100 crore allocated for providing support to sugarcane farmers.

Also read: Punjab Budget: Free education for all till Class 12

• New horticulture estates to be set up at Amritsar, Pathankot, Kotkapura and Patiala.
• Centre of excellence of floriculture to be set up in Doraha.
• Two new agriculture colleges at Gurdaspur and Balachaur to be set up
• ‘Paani bachao paisa kamao’ scheme to be extended for giving direct benefit transfer of electricity to the agriculture sector. Scheme to be extended to cover 244 feeders.
• Rural development allotted Rs 3,830 crore

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