PUNJAB

Punjab Government is planning to launch M-Gram seva app across the state for all villages as the impact of the pilot project in Anandpur Sahib has been transformative, improving the lives of citizens and making a positive difference in the community, Water supply and sanitation minister Bram Shanker Jimpa said on Sunday.

M-Gram seva mobile app was launched in December 2021 to digitize revenue and expenditure details at the Gram Panchayat level, empowering frontline leaders and increasing accountability and transparency in the management of funds for water supply-related Services. The pilot project covered 73 Gram Panchayat Water Supply Committee (GPWSCs) schemes and 85 villages in Sri Anandpur Sahib Division. This app is available on Android and iOS platforms, features multiple language , easy digital bookkeeping, online and cash payment options, SMS alerts, and a system for rating the quality of water services.

Jimpa added that the implementation of the M-Gram seva app has led to several improvements in the revenue collection and monitoring system. Before the app’s implementation, only 20 out of 73 GPWSCs were maintaining their records manually, but now all records are maintained digitally on the app. Consumers are now able to make payments online through various options, and all reports, including those on bill generation and payment, are sent via SMS and made available on WhatsApp.

Keeping in view the larger interest of employees and the administrative need of the Cooperation Department to ensure efficiency in its functioning, the Punjab Cabinet today approved amendment to the Punjab Cooperative Audit (Group-B) Service Rules, 2016.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by CM Charanjit Singh Channi.

The amendment to the provisions due to the restructuring of the department would provide for direct/promotional avenues to the posts of audit officer, superintendent grade 2, senior auditor, inspector audit and senior assistant. After the approval of the officer committee, the restructuring of the department was approved during a Cabinet meeting on December 30, 2020, in which the posts of inspector were reduced from 774 to 654, while those of senior auditor were increased from 32 to 107.

The ministry report has said a survey was conducted through a company to study the volume of traffic on major roads in each state at peak hours. The time from 9 am to 11 am and from 4 pm to 7 pm was chosen for the airport road, the hours when the traffic movement was found to be the highest.

Another reason for more vehicles plying on the road, according to the report, was that inter-state traffic heading towardsHimachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Leh, Ladakh and interiors of Punjab has also started taking the stretch by taking a diversion from Singhpura in Zirakpur.

The Minister of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Lal Chand Kataruchak, visited the grain market in Bathinda today and said the Punjab Government was committed to purchase each and every grain of paddy.

The minister said payment of around Rs 15,000 crore had been deposited in the accounts of the farmers of the state. Kataruchak also interacted with farmers who had brought their crops to Dana Mandi.

He said the was also ensuring that necessary arrangements were made for farmers as well as all persons involved in the procurement process, including sheller owners, artisans, laborers, transporters, etc.

He appealed to farmers to harvest only ripe paddy crop so that the moisture Percentage in the produce was not high and procurement agencies could buy it without any delay.

unjab chief ministerCharanjit Singh Channion Saturday approved the PSPCLs proposal to terminate GVK Goindwal Sahib (2×270 MW)Power Purchase Agreement. Subsequently, thePunjab State Power Corporation Limited(Pspcl) has issued termination notice to the company.

Meanwhile, a preliminary default notice has been served by PSPCL to GVK on Saturday for cancellation of PPA due to high power cost and falling lowest in the merit order, procurement of energy from GVK that had been restricted only within the range of 25% to 30% during most of the times of a year resulting in higher tariff of about Rs 7.52 per unit for last year.
Channi said that this step had been taken to safeguard the interest of consumers of the state by way of reducing the burden of costly power.

Facing resource constraints,Punjabgovernment is trying toimprove Health servicesby optimising use of available Resources through rationalisation. Lack of resources has become a major stumbling block for theAam Aadmi Party(AAP) government in fulfilling one of its key promises of improving health Services.
To overcome this challenge and increase efficiency, plans are being made to synchronise health resources available with the health and rural development and panchayats department.

By doing this, the government aims at overcoming shortage of doctors in the health department and lack of facilities in rural healthcare centres. To enhance the reach of health services, the government plans to open 600 primary health centres, which currently number around 400. Of these, 105 centres dont have doctors. As many as 560 doctors work in rural dispensaries which are functioning even without basic medicines for pain, cold, fever and allergy.

The Punjab cabinet on Wednesday decided to waive pending electricity bills of all defaulters having connection up to 2 KW.

This will cover 80 per cent electricity consumers in Punjab. Such consumers whose connections have been disconnected would benefit from it.

This will put approximately Rs 1,200 crore burden on the state exchequer and will benefit consumers in rural and urban areas. Committees at tehsil level will be formed to handle such cases and verify the beneficiaries. The policy will apply only to the previous electricity bills that are pending.