Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has pitched for financial assistance from NITI Aayog to mitigate the financial distress of the farmers through a one-time debt waiver, while seeking a special package from the Government of India to promote major industrial hubs in the state.
The Chief Minister’s strong appeal for central assistance came through his speech, which was circulated and taken on record at the third Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog here on Sunday.
Captain Amarinder could not attend the meeting due to unavoidable reasons. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was attended by Union Cabinet Ministers, State Chief Ministers, Vice Chairman, Members and CEO of NITI Aayog, along with senior officers from different states and Union Territories.
Lauding the central government’s Smart City initiative, the CM mooted the establishment of smart villages on the same lines for the development of Punjab’s rural infrastructure.
He urged the Central government to launch a Mission for this purpose, with adequate funding to upgrade rural infrastructure and bring the benefits of technology and markets to the state’s rural areas.