DW BUREAU / MOHALI Vowing not to rest till he had put the state's economy back on the track of growth, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday announced a slew of welfare measures for the people, including facilitation of another 6 lakh jobs for youth over the next two years, of which one lac will be in the government sector. In his Independence Day address, the Chief Minister announced that 50000 government jobs will be provided to the youth in FY 2021 and another 50000 in FY 2022. He also announced a Virtual Mega Job Mela next month with the target of placement of 50000 youth in the private sector. He pointed out that his government had already helped 13.60 lakh youth get gainful employment/self-employment under its flagship 'Ghar Ghar Rozgar' scheme. While reiterating his government's commitment to incentives for the industry to attract more investment to the state, he said Rs. 63000 crore investment had already been realised on the ground with potential of 2 lakh jobs in the State. Over the next few months, his government will also give debt relief to the tune of Rs 520 crore to landless farmers and workers, said the Chief Minister, pointing out that Rs 4700 crore had already been disbursed to 5.62 lac farmers under the debt waiver scheme of the government. He also announced that his government will soon enact a new land leasing law, to secure the land ownership of the farmers and the rights of tenants on agriculture land. Captain Amarinder further said that with the launch soon of the Smart Ration Card scheme, as many as 1.41 crore beneficiaries will become eligible to get rations from fair price shops. To further boost the infrastructure of the state, the Chief Minister announced construction of 1300 kms of State and National Highways with an investment of over Rs 12000 crore in the next two years. While 28,830 kms of rural links roads had already been repaired over the last three years with an expenditure of Rs 3278 crore, the next two years will see repair of another 6162 kms of link roads with an investment of Rs 834 crore, he said, adding that patchwork of an additional 17,000 kms of link roads will also be undertaken at a cost of Rs 82 crore. Underlining the need to take Punjab back to its lost glory in Sports, the Chief Minister announced the construction of 750 rural sports stadiums across the state in the next two years. He also announced Rs 2500 crore investment, over the next 2 years, in Phase II of the Smart Village Campaign (SVC), for which Phase I covering 19132 rural works has already been completed at a cost of Rs 835 crores. All rural households of the State will have piped potable drinking water. (editor@dailyworld.in)