PUNJAB

Punjabhas been adjudged as best state in the region in terms of overall Health performance in the fourth edition of the state health index for the year 2019-20 released by the government think-tank.

Punjab has improved its overall ranking to eighth position with the composite index score of 58.08 from the ninth position in the Base Year 2018-19(56.34 index score).

Punjab has been placed among the states achieving positive incremental performance. Whereas the neighbouring states ofHaryanaand Himachal Pradesh have shown negative incremental performance, as per the health index.

Haryana continues to retain the 11th position with 49.26 index score whereas the hill state of Himachal Pradesh declined to the seventh position (63.17 index score) from its earlier sixth position (63.23 index score) in the base year 2018-19.

The annual season ofstubble burningis almost over with the daily combined count in Punjab and Haryana staying below 200. Both Punjab and Haryana have recorded lowest paddy residue burning events this year since 2020, shows data of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), which follows the standard protocol notified by the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) in 2021.

Between September 15 and November 23, Punjab and Haryana have witnessed a reduction of fire counts by 30% and 48%, respectively, this year as against last year.

Punjab has recorded 49,604 farm fires between September 15 and November 23 in 2022 as compared to 71,181 in 2021 and 82,693 in 2020. Data from the stubble burning season of 2021 shows that the daily fire counts crossed 4,000 on six days, including three days when per day counts were higher than 5,000. However, the highest single day count was 3,916 on November 11.

Recognising the outstanding Services of the Punjab Police, the Ministry of Home Affairs, has awarded a 16-member Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) team with the Union Home Ministers Special Operation Medal for 2022.

These special operations by the AGTF led to the neutralisation of two dreaded gangsters and the timely arrest of 12 gangsters, besides the recovery of 24 weapons, 1.5-kg heroin and Rs 79.27 lakh drug .

Channi, delivering his keynote address on the Plenary Session of fourth Progressive Punjab Investors Summit-2021 at Indian School of Business, said that Punjab would live up to their expectations as Punjab is the best place to do business in India.

Expressing his gratitude to all the visionaries who joined virtually on the first day of two-days even with theme of Progressive Punjab A story of PARTNERSHIP, Delivery and Growth: Investors Reassured, the Chief Minister said that their valuable suggestions and input would help the to further fine tune the existing Industrial Policy by incorporating some requisite amendments to make it far more investor friendly.

Stating that he comes from a humble background, the Chief Minister said that he had gone through the grill of day-to-day challenges faced by a common man and has first-hand knowledge of their problems. I have also seen that aspiring young generation of Punjab which wants to do something big and I am committed to fulfill their dreams…But I am unable to do this without you…without your support, he said while terming the industrialist as wealth creators in the Society and a source of opportunities to cherish the aspirations of states youth.

Exhorting the tycoons of Industry, Channi said: You have the capital, you have the risk taking capacity and you have business ideas. I have the will, I have the intent, and I have the commitment. I give my commitment to you today that our Government will work with you at every step to see that nothing from the government hinders your speed or create hurdles in your business plans.

Little help from the governments – both state and the Centre – is resulting in high out-of-pocketexpenditureon healthcare for residents ofPunjaband Haryana.
The situation is worse in Punjab where the out-of-pocket-expenditures, which refers to spent directly by households for receiving healthcare, is higher than the national Average. At the same time, the governmenthealthexpenditure (GHE), which constitutes spending under all schemes funded and managed by the Centre, state, and local governments, was lower than the All-India average.
These facts have come to the fore in the latest report of theNational Health Accounts Estimatesfor India 2018-19. The out-of-pocket expenditure in Punjab was 65.5%, which accounted for 1.8% of the gross domestic state product (GSDP), against the national average of 48.2%.

The report states that in Punjab, the total health expenditure was Rs 14,047 crore, which was 2.7% of the GSDP with per capita spending of Rs 4,682. Out of Rs 14,047 crore, out-of-pocket-expenditure was Rs 9,196 crore. In the previous year, the per capita expenditure was Rs 1,086, which was 25.7% of the total health expenditure, while the out-of-pocket expenditure was Rs 2,935 accounting for 69.4% of the total expenditure.

In Haryana, total health expenditure was Rs 13,463 crore, 1.9% of the GSDP, of which Rs 6,359 crore – 47.23% of total expenditure – was spent by people from their own pocket.

The department of Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture has decided to provide crop residue management machinery online on rent to prevent incidents ofstubble burning.

The department had launched the I-Khet Punjab app to make the machinery easily accessible to all. Farmers can register themselves as custom hiring groups or on the mobile app and get or offer such machinery on rent.

Farmers, custom hiring centers and co-operative societies will also be able to make a profit by renting out the equipment. Raheja said the district has 38 Happy Seeders, 72 Super Seeders, 102 Zero Drills, 64 Super SMS, 35 Straw Choppers, 32 Mulchers, 55 Reversible Ploughs, 30 Rotavators, 4 Balers, 4 Racks and 1 Cutter-Cum-Spreader.

The Chief Minister, on the occasion, also launched commemorative Gold and Silver coins to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Making it clear that shortage of finances would not be allowed to hold up Education projects in the State, the Chief Minister termed it the most important focus area to enable the youth of Punjab to compete with the world. He lauded the concerned Department for enabling the State to become number 1 in school education in the country. Citing education as a priority sector, the Chief Minister said that after achieving top position in School Education, his next aim is to make Punjab No.1 in Higher Education and Technical Education also.

In line with the State Governments thrust on education, the Chief Minister said that he will inaugurate 18 new fully functional degree colleges and 25 ITIs on October 2. Education must keep pace with times, he stressed, underscoring the need for constant evolution to ensure that education does not become irrelevant in the coming decades.

Though Law Degrees are also being conferred by the Dev University, Punjabi University, and Panjab University, apart from law being taught in about 30 colleges of the State, there was only one Law University (Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala) in the State so far, he pointed out, adding that this new university will enable specialised law courses to be offered to the states youth.

It was informed at the meeting that the Labour Department has already accepted 22 of 33 recommendations made by GAME.

The Chief Secretary asked the Labour Department to consider the recommendations on the standing order exemptions for .

The GAME has identified several NOCs being issued by various departments and has recommended their rationalisation.

Shekhar proposed the recommended rationalisation in consultation with the concerned departments and to put forth the proposal before the Council of Ministers for freezing the requirement of several NOCs for setting up of business in the state.

Notably, the Punjab Government had signed a MoU with the GAME in November 2020. The GAME was working closely with the state departments to reduce the costs of compliances for MSMEs that will help further improve the congenial business Environment for MSMEs in Punjab.

The Chief Minister said that thesemilniswill be organized twice a week in the Malwa region of the State, and once in a week in Doaba and Majha regions. This will help in resolution of pity issues of the villages that are pending at the level of the officers and have been hitherto not resolved. The Government will also solicit views of the panchayats that have taken path breaking initiatives to develop their villages on scientific lines, he said.

Envisioning that like Kisan-Sarkar milni this scheme will go a long way in transforming the villages of the state into development hubs, Mann said that Kisan-Sarkar Milni had already proved useful for resolving the issues faced by the states farmers. Village-Sarkaar Milni will go a long way in further ensuring holistic development of the villages, he added.

Karnal: Farmers adopt improved basmati varieties for better yield, higher income

Farmers of the region have started adopting new farmer-friendly basmati varieties developed by the Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture“>Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) last year. According to the experts, these have high-yielding capacity and in-built resistance to blast and blight diseases.

The growers prefer Pusa Basmati varieties -1847, 1885 and 1886, which are improved versions of the varieties -1509, 1121 and PB-6, respectively. These also account for around 90 per cent of the countrys basmati rice exports.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema on Monday presented the Aam Aadmi Party governments first budget for the year 2022-23 with a total outlay of 1,55,860 crore.

The Finance Minister presented the States first paperless budget, a step expected to save 21 lakh per annum. The budget was presented in the State Assembly, which puts the current effective outstanding debt of Punjab at 2.63 Lakh crore. The budget proposals for the coming year focused on the Education, Health Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and Police modernisation.

Mr. Cheema announced upgrading of 100 schools as schools of eminence, and setting up cyber-crime control units in all districts.

With the States earnings proposed at 95,378 crore against an expenditure of 1,55,860 crore, the State could see a of 12,553.80 crore.

Mr. Cheema said that the AAP government is fulfilling its first guarantee made to the people of Punjab by providing 300 units of domestic power free every month to all citizens of Punjab, with effect from July 1, 2022. The government, he said, will also set up 117 Mohalla clinics, for which 77 crore has been earmarked.