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Claiming to have laid the foundation of a new and progressive Punjab in the first year of the Mann government’s rule, Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday said that all major election promises including free electricity, high standard health and education facilities have been delivered. Which has been completed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhavan here on Friday, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the first year of the tenure of the Hon’ble government shows our seriousness, diligence and dedication towards Punjab. He said that the Mann government has taken many historic pro-people decisions to revive the economy of the state and facilitate the common people.
Condemning the governments that came to push Punjab to the brink of disaster, Cheema said the Congress, Akali Dal and BJP governments patronized gangsters, mafia and corruption and forced Punjabis to go abroad. Now, the Mann government has streamlined the government system and adopted a policy of zero-tolerance towards corruption, due to which many influential and powerful people, including former ministers, are constantly in jail for corruption and looting the public treasury.
Enlisting the many pro-people initiatives taken by the Mann government during the last one year, he said that excise and taxes have also contributed significantly to the state’s revenue by recording a 45 percent increase in excise and 23 percent in GST over the fiscal year. 2021-22.
Cheema said that this is the first time that any government has taken serious steps to promote direct sowing of paddy and cultivation of moong dal to save the air, water and soil of the state. He said that due to these efforts, stubble burning has reduced by 30 percent. He said that he has not only taken steps to save the ground water but this is the first time that a Chief Minister of Punjab has taken a strong stand on the SYL issue while the previous Chief Ministers were either silent on the issue. They have been doing lip service or doing politics.
He said that the recovery of enforcement wings has increased from Rs 2000 crore. 147.89 crores by February, 2022 to Rs. 173.27 crores by February, 2023, an increase of 17.2% over the previous financial year. He said that the taxation department has also taken initiatives to help good tax payers such as 24X7 ‘chatbot’ to answer GST related queries through WhatsApp number ‘9160500033’ and 16 registered persons during PPIS 2023 for good tax compliance. Facility provided.
Cheema said that the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) has arrested 567 gangsters, neutralized 05 gangsters, busted 156 criminals, recovered 563 weapons and 125 vehicles used in criminal activities. Although the previous government patronized them and because of this the crime situation in the state worsened, but now the law and order situation is intact under the Mann government.
Responding to a media query about the financial burden on Punjabi University, Patiala, Cheema reiterated that education should never come under any debt and no stone would be left unturned for the betterment of the universities. He accused the previous governments of giving loans to the university due to their vested interests and there were large scale irregularities in the functioning in the past.
Assuring the early implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), Cheema said that two separate committees, one headed by him and the other headed by Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua, had reviewed the scheme for government employees. It will draft a standard operating system for better implementation. The policy has been implemented by Rajasthan.
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