CAPT AMARINDER REVEALS MAJOR INCREASE IN REVENUE GENERATION THROUGH VAT, TRANSPORT FEE & EXCISE AUCTIONS

• WARNS CRIMINAL GANGS TO SURRENDER OR FACE EXEMPLARY ACTION, SAYS PCCOCA WOULD BE MADE FOOL-PROOF
• DISMISSES SJF REFERENDUM POSTERS, ACCUSES AKALIS OF FOMENTING TROUBLE WITH PROPOSED PORTRAIT GALLERY IN GOLDEN TEMPLE
Chandigarh, July 4, 2017: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced a significant increase in revenues in the first three months of this fiscal over the previous year, even as he warned the criminal gangs still active in the state to either surrender or face exemplary action.

In his first major interaction with the media since taking over the state’s reins, the Chief Minister said he had given a free hand to the police to deal with criminal gangs, and his government was also working on a fool-proof PCCOCA law that would be insulated from abuse of any kind.

The Chief Minister dismissed the 2020 referendum posters put up by the Sikh Justice Forum across the state as not worthy of consideration, saying no such feelings prevailed among the people of Punjab.

To a question on the portrait gallery work set to start on July 6 in the Golden Temple complex in the memory of those killed during Operation Bluestar, including Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the Chief Minister charged the Damdami Taksal and Prakash Singh Badal led Akali Dal of trying to foment trouble and disturb the state’s peace through such steps. “For 10 years when they were in power, they did nothing and now they have started all this”, he said adding that such acts could only create tensions and troubles.

On the INLD threat to stop vehicles over the SYL issue on July 10, Captain Amarinder said the DGP was looking into it. The Chief Minister once again expressed the hope that the matter would be resolved through dialogue, saying the Union Home Minister had assured him that the Centre was pursuing it. Captain Amarinder made it clear that the state was willing to cooperate and did not want to deny water to anyone but it was important to first ascertain the quantum of water available in the state.

Giving details of the state’s financial health, the Chief Minister said while VAT revenue had gone up 33% - to Rs. 6012.96 core from April 1 to June 30, 2017, from Rs. 4568 crore in the same period last year, transport fees/taxes had led to the collection of 25% higher revenue. Further, he said, his government had successfully conducted excise auctions for the year 2017-18 and realized Rs. 1016 Cr (23.1 %) more than the previous year 2016-17.

Talking about the fiscal legacy inherited by his government, the Chief Minister said the unpaid liabilities amounted to Rs. 13039 crore, while debt had gone up from Rs. 51,155 cr in 2007 to Rs. 1,82,183 cr in 2017. In violation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, Rs. 51000 Cr was raised in the last 6 months of SAD Government, he said, adding that UDAY bonds of Rs. 15628 cr had been floated to settle loans of PSPCL.

The Chief Minister once again reiterated his support for the GST, saying it would be highly beneficial for Punjab. It was a progressive tax, he said, adding that the Congress was opposing it only on account of the multiple tax brackets contained in it.

A job fair for 50000 persons at Khooni Majra (Mohali) in August and the establishment of a skills university in Chamkaur Sahib were among the key decisions announced by the Chief Minister to boost employment opportunities for the youth. The Quark City, housing 53 leading global companies such as IBM, Infosys, Emerson Electric, FIS, Evry etc, was estimated to generate another 6000 jobs in the next five years, in addition to the 6500 people already employed in the facility, which has already contributed Rs. 2500 crore in exports to the state revenue, the Chief Minister added.

He also cited the various schemes launched by the government to implement poll promises to generate employment, including Yaari Enterprises, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Employment Generation scheme, Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgaar (1 Lakh jobs),Harra tractor Scheme (25000 Tractors) and Employment Bureaus in each district.

The Chief Minister also made a formal announcement for the establishment of a Horticulture University in Abohar, while clarifying that the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) will not be bifurcated but will act as mentor to the new university and will provide the latter with transit accommodation.

The government is also set to formally ban truck unions and announce the new transport policy on Wednesday, Captain Amarinder revealed, adding that the cabinet will meet tomorrow to stamp its approval on the establishment of a Rs. 100 crore Road Safety Fund and restricting of the abolished DTO/Transport Department.

To a question on the sand mining auctions, the Chief Minister said the government’s efforts to eliminate the mafia had led to shortage of the commodity, causing an increase in its price, but the situation would ease in the coming months as supply goes up. The government had, through a single auction, raised a revenue of Rs. 280 crore, which was expected to rise to Rs. 500-600 cr per annum once all auctions are completed, he said, adding that the progressive e-auction mining policy would generate an additional revenue of Rs. 4000- 5000 cr, which was earlier being pocketed by the mafia.

Captain Amarinder said the governance reforms undertaken by his regime would go a long way in cleaning up the system of corruption and mafia rule. In this context, he cited his government’s decision to bring the Chief Minister, along with all ministers and bureaucrats, in the ambit of the Lok Pal Bill, as also the move to give judicial powers to Panchayats. He further said the Governance Ethics and Reforms Commission set up by his government for comprehensive systematic reforms in the state would scrutinize all transactions of above Rs.50 cr.

Cash transfers to the bank accounts of genuine beneficiaries and special courts to settle matters concerning NRIs, serving soldiers, drug peddlers etc would further help in improving governance, he added. To a question on the delay in setting up of NRI courts, the Chief Minister said establishment of a court required a minimum of 500 cases but since there were not enough NRI cases to be dealt with, his government was merging the same with ex-servicemen’s court.

Referring to the law and order situation, the Chief Minister said the abolition of the halqa system had led to considerable improvement while the judicial inquiry commissions set up to probe false cases and sacrilege incidents would soon submit their reports to enable the government to bring the guilty to book.The crime rate in the state had gone down, he said, citing figures.

The Chief Minister reiterated the steps taken to eliminate VVIP culture from the state and allayed apprehensions of introduction of VIP numbers for officers, saying only G would be added on government vehicle number plates.

Reiterating the government’s zero tolerance to drugs, the Chief Minister pointed out that the crackdown by the STF, supported by the police and other state agencies, had led to the registration of 3845 cases under NDPS Act till 13.6.2107, with 4438 people being arrested and more than 58 kgs of heroin recovered, along with other banned substances. The drug traffickers have either left the State or they have become dormant, having lost the patronage of Government enjoyed by them during the previous regime, he added.

Questioned about the limited loan waiver announced by his government for farmers, the Chief Minister said a 2-hectare farm land did not require a loan of more than Rs. 1 lakh and he was surprised how farmers had managed to accumulate such huge debts. He said there were about 20.22 lakh bank accounts with an outstanding loan of Rs. 59,621 crore as on 31.3.2017. There are about 18.5 Lakh farming families and about 65% of them are small and marginal farmers, out of which about 70% have access to institutional finance, he said, adding that on the basis of the interim report of the Haq committee, the government had decided to waive of entire crop loans of all small and marginal farmers (upto 5 acres) having loans upto Rs. 2.00 lakh.

Elaborating on the steps being taken by the government to boost agriculture, the Chief Minister promised a State Agriculture Policy and amendment to the Agricultural Produce Markets Act, besides various other initiatives. He pointed to thehassle free procurement of 120 Lakh MT wheat to show the success of his government’s efforts in this direction.

With regard to industry, the Chief Minister disclosed that Industrial electric connections of over 1000 MWs were surrendered during the previous regime, with 29693 industrial connections surrendered as these units had closed their operations in the last ten years of previous Government. The new industrial and investment policy would give a major impetus to industry, he said, announcing a Rs. 20,000 crore Petro-Chemical Complex at Bathinda, in addition to 16 new specific industrial parks, besides the hi-tech cycle valley to be set up at Rs. 400 crore.

Listing down the initiatives undertaken by his government in the field of education, he reiterated his budget speech announcements, adding that a Central Institute for Promotion and Development of Punjabi Language is proposed to be set up at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda.

The Chief Minister announced a special drive to fill the vacancies of super specialists in the field of health, adding that a new medical college would be set up in SAS Nagar (Mohali) and an incentive of 30% for PCMS doctors in the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) for post-graduation.

He further listed the various pension enhancements and housing schemes for houseless urban SC/BC categories to underline his government’s commitment to social welfare, which included increase in reservation quota for BCs and SCs in education and government schemes, respectively.

The Chief Minister also spoke about the women empowerment, irrigation and rural development programmes, which had already been announced by the government earlier, to underline his government’s commitment to holistic development of all sections of Punjab’s populace.