Punjab Minister meets Nirmala Sitharaman, seeks special incentive for Punjab’s border districts
The Hindu
Minister Bittu urges Finance Minister for incentives in Punjab's border districts to boost industry and agriculture.
Punjab’s Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Singh Bittu met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and sought special incentives for industry and farmers of Punjab’s border districts following the pattern of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Taking up the issues of Punjab at a marathon meeting held late Wednesday night, the Hon’ble Minister urged the Hon’ble Finance Minister to consider the demands of Punjab on priority being a border state,” a press statement issued from Mr. Bittu’s office said.
The minister demanded special incentives for the border districts of Punjab namely Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran to boost investment as well as employment opportunities in line with Jammu and Kashmir and the north-eastern states, the statement added.
“The Hon’ble Minister informed the FM that the flagship Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS) should be reintroduced with a threshold limit of 1,00,00.000, as there is a lack of effective schemes supporting MSMEs in achieving technological advancements,” the release said.
“In light of the recent increase in capital costs, it is desired that the limit under the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) be increased to 1,00,00,000,” it added.
According to Mr. Bittu’s office, the minister also suggested to Mr. Sitharaman an amendment in freight subsidy criteria to cover the MSMEs in Punjab.
“The FM was apprised of the fact that transportation costs to deliver goods to the nearest port in India is much higher for land-locked states such as Punjab as compared to the coastal states. The cost also depends on the distance of the nearest port from the respective state.” the release said.