Taking ahead its farm loan waiver scheme, Punjab government has decided to extend a Rs 590-crore waiver to landless farmers, farm labourers, and SC/BC beneficiaries. Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh will virtually launch the disbursal of debt waiver and cheques will be provided to beneficiaries in their respective districts.

 The waiver, up to Rs 20,000 per beneficiary, will be handed over to farmers/labourers, who have availed loans from district cooperative banks for being members of primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS). In all, a benefit of Rs 520 crore will be extended to 2.85 lakh landless farmers and labourers. The remaining will be provided to 7,600 beneficiaries belonging to scheduled castes and backward classes.

In all, the state government has provided a debt waiver of Rs 4624 crore to 5.64 lakh small and marginal farmers.