PUNJAB

PSPCL gets Rs 9,641 crore loan for installation of smart meters

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After an assurance by the to clear Rs 1,800 crore per annum for next five years, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (Pspcl) has been granted a loan of Rs 9,641 crore for the installation of smart meters.

The PSPCL has been allowed to strengthen Infrastructure for the loss reduction in a time bound manner under revamped distribution sector scheme (RDSS) of by the Power Finance Corporation (PFC).

The project cost of smart metering works is Rs 5,768 crore with a grant of Rs 875 crore from Central Government. An additional incentive of Rs 85 crore will be given on completion of the project in defined time period. The project cost for strengthening the infrastructure for loss reduction is Rs 3,837 crore with a grant of Rs 3,199 crores.

This loan, however, comes with a rider that the state department must clear arrears of subsidy amounting to Rs 9,020 crore, along with pending electricity dues from government departments of Rs 2,548 crore, to the PSPCL.

Soil Conservation Dept gets quality control wing

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In a bid to ensure precise planning, designing, estimation besides transparent and accountable implementation of public works, the Cabinet on Saturday approved setting up of Design, Quality Control Monitoring and Evaluation Wing in the and Water Conservation Department.

The creation of the wing would not entail any additional expenditure, and help save public Money due to implementation of proper planning, designing and estimation besides enhancing accountability among departmental officers/officials.

CM announces to give facelift to lakes for emerging bathinda as tourist hub in Pb

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Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the lakes in the city will be given a facelift to emerge Bathinda as a tourist hub in the state in general and Malwa region in particular.

He held detailed parleys with the officers on to review the development works in the city.

Mann said that the lakes in Bathinda will be rejuvenated by pumping in the necessary Resources,adding that no stone will be left unturned for ensuring that Bathinda emerges as a tourist hub in the state. He said that development of the city will be accorded top priority.

Acceding to the demand raised by MLA Jagroop Singh, the Chief Minister gave a green signal to construct a new bus stand in the city and said that this will help in solving the problem of traffic. Mann also asked the and POWERCOM to explore the feasibility of using Lake number 1 as a water tank for solving the problem of potable water supply in the city.

A tree plantation drive will soon be launched to make Punjab green and clean as a part of the Rs 5,466.82-crore Green Punjab Mission for the current fiscal 2021-22 which was approved recently.

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The approval was granted at the meeting of the Steering Committee of Green Punjab Mission, chaired by the Chief Secretary, Vini Mahajan.

The Chief Secretary asked the Forests department to plan free distribution of 25 lakh Plants to the public to involve the people in the mission to increase green cover in the state.

The Chief Secretary also directed the Forests department to create 101 new bagichis (nurseries) after the name of first Sikh Dev ji in urban areas, 128 pavittar van (forest areas) after the name of ninth Sikh master Guru Tegh Bahadur ji on the panchayat and forest lands in the states hinterland, and 12 forest and nature awareness parks during this financial year.

Punjab CM bats for launching a mass movement to preserve states water, environment

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Underlining the need for providing a sustainable Environment to future generations, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday gave a clarion call for launching a mass movement to preserve water and environment in the state.

Mann, chairing a state-level function to mark World Environment Day, expressed deep concern over the depleting groundwater table and polluting environment in the state. Immediate remedial steps are required to save the only precious and scarce natural resource of Punjab in terms of water along with checking the environmental pollution. This cannot be done by the government alone but peoples participation is must by launching a vigorous mass awareness campaign to sensitize them about its significance, especially in wake of , he said.

Showing deep concern over the gravity of the emerging situation following the fast-depleting water table, the Chief Minister said that almost all the blocks in the state are in the dark zone as far as the groundwater is concerned. It has happened due to reckless pumping of water in fields, and the trend needs to be checked immediately so that our future generations do-not have to strive for water, he said.

The Chief Minister said that the State Government is taking massive steps for optimum utilization of the canal water to save the groundwater. At present, Punjab is using only 33-34 per cent of its canal waterThis will be enhanced in the coming days, he said, envisioning that if Punjab can enhance the canal water utilization to 60 per cent in first phase, nearly four lakh tubewells out of total 14 lakh can be stopped thereby helping in saving water.

Also citing the example of Telangana for water conservation, Mann said that it is a revolutionary model that is aimed at recharging the water table holistically.

The Chief Minister also dedicated the newly-constructed ultra-modern building having world class instrumentation to the Punjab Biotechnology Incubator (PBTI) in Knowledge City. The unique facility will be extensively used for testing of food, agri, water, environment, and Health sectors for pesticides residues, heavy metals, food additives or adulterants etc, he said.

Punjab CM sanctions Rs130 crore for flood protection

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CM Capt Amarinder Singh sanctioned Rs 130 crore for execution of various flood-protection works across the state and directed the Irrigation and Revenue Departments to ensure its completion before the onset of the monsoon season.

Chairing a meeting of the State Flood Control Board through video-conferencing, Captain Amarinder also ordered to place Rs 10 crore at the disposal of the Deputy Commissioners of flood-prone districts to deal with any emergent situation arising due to heavy rains/floods. The Chief Minister directed the DCs of the flood-prone districts to prioritise their tasks and submit the list of projects requiring immediate attention to the Finance Department for sanctioning of the funds.

Days after Punjabs industrialists and businessmen reportedly signed agreements with the Uttar Pradesh Government in the wake of deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday claimed that the state firmed up Rs 30,000 crore investment in the past nine months due to his Governments pro-industry environment and ease of doing business policies.

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Referring to the recent meetings with industrialists in Hyderabad, Mann said that the entrepreneurs, associated with Food Processing and Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture, have shown keen interest in investing in Punjab, which will further strengthen the states Industrial Sector.

Notably, Punjab-based industrialists, mostly from Ludhiana, have met the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath early this week, and reportedly singed the agreements of Rs 2.30 thousand crores. Following a spate in crime incidents, related to threat calls for ransom from gangsters and shootouts, the states businessmen and traders have started believing that they were no more safe in Punjab”.

Punjab: 43 illegal rehabilitation centres come up in 1 year

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The had first notified The Punjab Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Counselling and Rehabilitation Centres Rules on January 16, 2011. However, there were many reports of irregularities and malpractices by centres.

To regulate the functioning and licensing of drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres under Sections 71 and & 78 of the NDPS Act, and give more power to the department, the state government decided to amend the rules and notified amended rules as The Punjab Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Counselling and Rehabilitation Centres Rules 2020 on July 28 last year. However, the Health Department did not implement the amended rules for 16 months. In all these months, it kept issuing licences as per the rules of 2011, which had ceased to exist with the notification of the new rules.

Punjab Government identifies 90,248 deceased beneficiaries under various pension schemes

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Punjab Government has identified no less than 90,248 deceased beneficiaries under various pension schemes a move set to save the states Rs 13.53 crore per month and Rs 162.36 crore annually.

The states Social Security, Women and Child Development Department has conducted a survey on the directions of the Minister in-charge Dr Baljit Kaur, following which, as many as 90,248 deceased beneficiaries of various pension schemes were identified. With this step, the state treasury will be richer by 13.53 crore per month, said the Minister.

The Minister said that a survey of 30.46 lakh beneficiaries of Punjab has been conducted. On completion of this survey, 90248 deceased beneficiaries have been identified. By identifying the deceased beneficiaries, Punjab Government will save Rs 13.53 crore per month and Rs 162.36 crore annually, she said.

The Minister said that the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) scheme will be implemented to pay the pension to the beneficiaries. The pension will be disbursed to the beneficiaries through business correspondence deployed by bank, she added.

To implement the scheme, the first two pilot projects will be started soon in the districts of Sangrur and Sri Muktsar Sahib, the Minister added.

Punjab Government has asked all farmers, cooperatives, and panchayats, who have received sanctions to procure agri-machines, to bring all machines for physical verification on November 1 at the office premises of all block agricultural officers or designated alternate sites.

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The Minister also advised the farmers, belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Panchayats, and Cooperatives, to submit applications for paddy residue management machines through the Departments portal agrimachinerypb.com. In case of any difficulty, help will be extended by the Department officials to submit applications on the portal, he said, adding that the role of Panchayats and Cooperatives is very important to provide machines to small, marginal, and SC farmers without rentals.

Under CRM scheme, the has focused to deliver state-of-the-art machines to the farmers, including super SMS, super seeder, happy seeder, paddy straw chopper, shredder or mulcher, hydraulic reversible mould board plough and zero till drill for in-situ management and baler and rake as ex-situ machines on subsidy for the ease of the farmers.