Massive security for Gujral's Punjab visit

Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral's two-day visit to Punjab will witness massive security arrangements.

A 6,000-strong security umbrella is being set in place in Jalandhar, where the prime minister is expected to announce the Rs 47 billion loan waiver for the border state.

The Parkash Singh Badal government has been trying to bring the prime minister to Jalandhar ever since it assumed office in February.

During his first visit to the state on May 4, Gujral promised to lighten Punjab's loan burden. He, however, skipped Jalandhar when he visited the state on July 13 which took him instead to Bathinda to see the train blast victims.

The government has been trying to convince the people that the Centre has indeed waived the outstanding loan of over Rs 47 billion along with interest.

Of the total loan of about Rs 57 billion procured from the Centre during 1985-90, the state has paid two instalments after the five-year moratorium ended. The third instalment had been waived by then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, according to Finance Minister Captain Kanwaljit Singh.

UNI