Finance Minister rolls out policy for recovery of outstanding dues

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 12

Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today launched a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme for the recovery of outstanding dues.

He was chairing a state-level function organised at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) here.

Accompanied by Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, PWD and School Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla, and PPCC president Sunil Jakhar, Manpreet said the performance of other ministries reflected on the Finance Ministry. “Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the Centre stopping Punjab’s share of the GST and RDF, the state has not gone into overdraft,” said the FM.

He said the partisan attitude of the Centre towards Punjab was evident from the fact that of the three food parks to be developed by the UAE in India, none was given to Punjab even though the UAE Government had clearly evinced keen interest in setting up one in the state.

Detailing the OTS policy, he said 47,000 traders would be benefitted by the policy.

Inaugurating Common Facility Centre by Ludhiana Oil Expellers and Parts Manufacturing Association, he said initiatives would be a game changer for the state.

Training guns at the Centre, he said the agricultural policies were being framed by those who knew nothing about farming. “Nearly 2,000 amendments have been made till date in the GST regime, which was touted by the Centre as its shining initiative,” said the state Congress president.

Laying emphasis on identifying the core strengths and weaknesses of the state industry, he said despite the Central Government holding onto Rs 8,000 crore GST share and RDF share of more than Rs 1,000 crore, the state government was committed to further propel the industrial growth in Punjab.

Ashu thanked the Finance Minister for sanctioning Rs 600-crore development projects for Ludhiana.

Pankaj Munjal, Hero Cycle Limited chairman, said people had learnt the importance of health from the Covid-19 pandemic. “We have seen a surge in the cycle market,” said Munjal.

Rs 203-cr projects for Abohar

Abohar: At a function organised to lay the foundation stone for 12 development schemes worth Rs 203 crore, Congress leaders on Tuesday led hundreds of people to pay tribute to the “martyrs” of the farmers’ stir by observing two-minute silence. Capt Amarinder Singh gave the event a miss due to bad weather even as over 500 cops were deployed in and around the helipad here. Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal lashed out at the Opposition for raising false hue and cry over the fiscal health of the state government. OC