'Package for farm sector to be announced soon'

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister today said a comprehensive package for welfare of farmers and labourers including farm labourers would be announced soon.

He stated this on the sidelines of a religious congregation here on Sunday.

During the past 20 days, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was involved in evolving a comprehensive broad based package for agriculture sector and labourers, Badal said adding, the chief minister would announce this package soon.

Speaking about steps being taken by the government to make the state power surplus, Badal said, by December all three thermal plants at Talwandi Sabo, Goindwal Sahib and Rajpura would be operational.

Punjab has already chalked a Rs 10,000 crore comprehensive plan to strengthen its power infrastructure and utilise additional generated power in 2014, he said.

Directions have been issued to set up a 64 and a 128 KV power stations and the chief minister has already given his nod to set up the state Power Trading Corporation (PTC), Badal said adding, the proposed PTC would be a computerised power trading exchange, capable of online power trading without wasting a single unit.

"Punjab would be in a position to sell power to other states and if allowed, even to neighbouring countries," he said.

Assuring uninterrupted 8-hour power supply to the farm sector for paddy sowing, Badal said Powercom has already tied-up with different sources and the state was fully geared up for a good paddy transplantation season.