-The Telegraph Chandigarh: Farmer Balwinder Singh from Patiala had taken a loan of Rs 41,700 from a cooperative bank. When he received his loan-waiver certificate from the Punjab government on Sunday, the amount waived was mentioned as Rs 7. On a day chief minister Amarinder Singh launched the loan-waiver scheme in Chandigarh to help distressed farmers, many across the state alleged only a fraction of their debts had been written off. While Balwinder...
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Punjab's farm loan waiver: Disquiet in Congress over party leaders being ignored in selection of beneficiaries -Kanchan Vasdev
-The Indian Express The state government has decided to roll out its scheme from Mansa on January 7 under which loans worth Rs 170 crore would be waived off formally. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh would be handing over the certificate to the farmers. Chandigarh: Punjab government’s farm loan waiver, which is to be rolled out to 40,000 farmers from five districts in Malwa on January 7, has many Congress leaders fuming...
More »Delhi air pollution: A (crop) burning issue, and the way out -Harish Damodaran
-The Indian Express Delhi air pollution: The current smog and poor air quality in the National Capital Region has been blamed in part on stubble burning by farmers, especially in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana. What is the genesis of the problem? What are its potential solutions? * How widespread is crop stubble burning? It is mainly confined to Punjab, Haryana and parts of western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where farmers grow paddy and...
More »Stubble-burning in Punjab, Haryana: Few options for farmers
-IANS With the central and state governments, and even the National Green Tribunal (NGT), coming down heavily on stubble-burning in Punjab and Haryana, farmers in both the states say they have few options available to avoid burning the crop residue. With a bumper paddy crop expected in the two agrarian states this kharif season -- likely in excess of 22.5 million tonnes -- the crop residue that will be burnt by farmers...
More »NDA states stall 50 per cent quota for women in panchayat elections -Shalini Nair
-The Indian Express According to the 73rd and 74th Amendment Act of the Constitution, passed in 1993, one-third of the seats in all rural and urban local bodies are reserved for women. Amid reports that the NDA government may revive the Women’s Reservation Bill, for reserving one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies for women, the Centre has canned a move to bring a central legislation to provide 50...
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