Chandigarh: Punjab has been transformed from ‘fiscal deficit’ to ‘fiscal profit’ by the massive generation of revenue due to strenuous efforts of the Aam Aadmi government, disclosed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Interacting with the media at Punjab Bhavan on Friday, the Chief Minister said that though the previous governments had always thought of their vested interests his government has pulled all plugs to enhance the revenue in the state. He said that these efforts have produced desired results as the state has been able to generate maximum revenue.
The excise policy has fetched a revenue of Rs 8,841 crore, which is more than last year, and an increase of 41.41%. Bhagwant Mann said that the target for the next financial year is Rs 9,754 crore. The Chief Minister said that the State government has for the first time presented a zero tax budget in the state. He said that this is first of its kind pro-people initiative, which will go a long way in ensuring the welfare of people. He envisioned that no stone will be left unturned for the holistic development of the state and the prosperity of its people.
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He further stated that the state has witnessed a massive increase in the GST collection with a hike of 16.6% and it is one of the top most performing states in GST collection. He said that the collection of last fiscal was Rs 18,126 crore as compared to Rs 15,542 crore of the previous year. The Chief Minister said that in a landmark initiative, the State government has taken a new experiment on giving an exemption of 2.25 % on stamp duty for land registration. He said that for the first time in the history of the state, the government has released all the pending subsidies worth Rs 20,200 crore.
He said that the state government has so far provided 3,538 jobs to the youth in the power sector. Due to measures of the government, the power generation in the state has increased manifold. He said that the already smooth and hassle-free supply of coal has started from the Jharkhand coal mine. Bhagwant Mann said that the state is heading towards becoming a power surplus state in the country.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the state government is exploring the possibility of moving to the court for seeking pending funds under the Rural Development Fund from the Centre. He said that the Union government is unnecessarily harassing the state by stalling funds worth Rs 30,000 crore under the RDF. Bhagwant Mann said that while the State government has completed all the formalities, but then also the Centre government has deliberately stalled the legitimate funds of the state, which is sheer injustice.
Listing the pro-people initiatives taken by the State government, the Chief Minister said that the Punjab government has so far provided more than 28,000 jobs to youth across the state adding that the sole criteria for selection in this entire recruitment process is merit and the entire procedure is being followed in a transparent manner. He said that now these youth have become an integral part of the socioeconomic growth of the state. Bhagwant Mann said that such a whopping number of jobs in merely one year reflect the commitment of the state government to ensure the well-being of youth and open new avenues of employment for them.
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The Chief Minister said that the state government has dedicated 504 Aam Aadmi Clinics across the state to provide quality health services in the state adding that 134 more such clinics will be dedicated soon. He said that these clinics are providing world-class treatment and diagnostic facilities to people free of cost. Bhagwant Mann said that so far 21.21 lakh patients have benefitted from these Aam Aadmi clinics adding that lakhs of patients have undergone free tests in merely a few months.
The Chief Minister said that in a major relief to the farmers of the state, the government has announced a 25% upward revision in the compensation for the crop loss to the farmers. He said that in case the loss is more than less than 75% then the compensation will be Rs 6,800 per acre as compared to Rs 5,400 earlier adding that if the loss was more than 75% then the state government will compensate the farmers with Rs 15,000 per acre as compared to Rs 12,000 earlier.
The Chief Minister said that at present around 50 public sand mines are operational in the state, which are benefitting the people in a big way. He said that this number will be enhanced as the State government will soon open 150 new mines across the state. Bhagwant Mann said that in these public the sand is being supplied at Rs 5.50 per cubic foot.
