Khas Khas, Chandigarh:

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today demanded a special package for the all-round development of the state from the 16th Finance Commission team visiting the state. The Chief Minister warmly welcomed the Commission Chairman Dr Arvind Panagariya, Members Ajay Narayan Jha, Anne George Mathew, Dr Manoj Panda and Dr Soumyakanti Ghosh besides Commission Secretary Ritwik Pandey and placed several demands before them. The Chief Minister has demanded Rs 1,32,247 crore from the Finance Commission to boost the development of the state. He said these funds include a development fund of Rs 75,000 crore, Rs 17,950 crore for agriculture and crop diversification, Rs 5,025 crore for prevention of stubble burning and alternative arrangements, Rs 8,846 crore to combat narco-terrorism and drug menace. Apart from Rs 8,846 crore for industries, Rs 6000 crore is included. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that funds of Rs 9426 crore for urban local units and Rs 10,000 crore for rural local units have also been demanded.

The Chief Minister said that in view of the valuable contribution of Punjab in making the country self-sufficient in food grains, the state should be given a special economic package to protect its production, achievement and independence. He said that Punjabis have already made their mark in every field in the world and this package would further boost the economic development of the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann expressed hope that the Finance Commission would sympathetically consider the genuine demands of the state government and allocate funds liberally to Punjab.

The Chief Minister said that our Government has embarked on a journey of intensive reforms aimed at bringing efficient, transparent governance and robust economic growth in Punjab. We have undertaken several pro-people reforms to improve the lives of our citizens. He said that Punjab is trying its best to mobilize resources for better sustainability and self-reliance. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that in the last two years itself, the State has registered impressive growth in key categories of its tax revenue, outpacing the national growth rate. He said that GST revenue has increased by 33 per cent and excise duty alone has increased by over 50 per cent. This has been possible due to the strong administration and honest governance provided by the State Government from day one. The Chief Minister said that the State Government is also reviewing various expenditures and considering rationalization of non-productive expenditures. He said that through solar energy, we intend to rationalize power subsidy in the long term and improve the reliability of our power infrastructure.

The Chief Minister said that the problems of Punjab are not new and have been inherited by us. Many of these problems have arisen due to wrong political decisions of previous governments just before elections. However, the CCL loan of Rs 30,584 crore taken in March, 2017 or huge untargeted subsidy given just before the 2021 elections. The Chief Minister said that the ill-effects of these steps are being felt even today as we are trying to achieve financial stability amidst the challenges inherited. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government is making concerted efforts to create 'Rangala Punjab' for which the support of the people of the state is necessary.

The Chief Minister said that apart from the inherited problems, the State was facing many unique challenges which no other State was facing at present. He said that being a border State, Punjab was facing narco-terrorism and cross border activities due to which a large number of police forces were recruited. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Punjab Police was safeguarding the unity and integrity of the country through its deployment along the over 500 km long International Border.

First road safety force deployed

The Chief Minister urged the Finance Commission to allocate large funds for the modernization of the state's police force so that the national duty can be discharged efficiently. He also said that the Punjab Government has taken the initiative to establish the first of its kind Road Safety Force (SSF) in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that since its inception in February 2024, the force has played a vital role in saving more than a thousand precious lives. The Chief Minister said that when it comes to underground water, almost all the blocks of the state have gone into the black zone, due to which the water of the state is depleting rapidly. Expressing deep concern over the situation arising after the rapidly decreasing water level, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is regrettable that high power motors used to extract oil in Dubai and other Gulf countries are being used to extract water in Punjab.

The Chief Minister said that the only solution to save water in the state was to promote crop diversification. He said that it was a matter of great pride and satisfaction that the Government of India had recently approved the proposal of the State Government for a concession of Rs 17,500 per hectare to promote agricultural diversification. This would prove to be a significant step in breaking the crop cycle. He said that Punjab Agricultural University led the green revolution in the country and now this university was being headed by world renowned tissue culture experts who could play a major role in promoting crop diversification. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the State Government was ensuring promotion of canal water use to save ground water and Punjab was now using 70 per cent canal water for irrigation, whereas earlier it was 30 per cent.

Punjab first issued green stamp papers

The Chief Minister said that this would save ground water on one hand and electricity on the other, thereby reducing the burden on the state exchequer. He said that due to the investment friendly policies of the state government, big industrial companies like Tata Steel are ready to invest in Punjab. Bhagwant Singh Mann regretted that the industrial development of Punjab is being hampered due to tax concessions in the neighbouring states, due to which industrial units are shifting to these states. The Chief Minister said that the state government has introduced several novel ideas including stamp papers of different colours, which is a big step towards ushering in a new era of industrial revolution in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Punjab is the first state to issue green stamp papers to entrepreneurs to set up their units, which will give the necessary boost to the industrial development of the state. He termed it a revolutionary step aimed at creating a business environment for entrepreneurs willing to set up their units in the state.

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