The Tribune – Moga bypoll; Jagmeet lodges code violation complaint; Accuses the ruling Akali Dal of disbursing development grants in Moga town and villages

Tribune News Service

Moga, February 19. Congress Working Committee member Jagmeet Brar has lodged a complaint of poll code violation against the SAD-BJP government.

In his complaint to the Chief Election Commissioner, Brar alleged that the Punjab Government had disbursed at least Rs 45 crore through various departments for development works in Moga town and its adjoining villages after the code of conduct came into force. The bypoll is slated for February 23.

Demanding a CBI inquiry into the “violations”, the Congress leader alleged that the SAD-BJP leaders had misused public money from the state exchequer for its vested political interests just to lure the voters. “Why was the money distributed in the run-up to the byelection,” he questioned.

Brar alleged that there was also free flow of drugs in villages and the official machinery had totally failed to keep a check on it. “The district administration is not checking private vehicles being used by the Chief Minister, his deputy and various ministers. There is a possibility of drugs and money being supplied through their vehicles,” he said.

The Congress leader alleged that goons of the Youth Akali Dal were also pressurising the Congress workers with the help of civil and police officials. “They (Akalis) are using muscle power and the Election Commission should take action against them so as to conduct free and fair elections.” He warned that the Congress workers would give a “befitting” reply to the Akali goons if the latter did not “mend their ways”.

Jagmeet addressed public gatherings at Thamanwala, Chotian Kalan, Kahansinghwala, Tarewala, Dhalleke and few locations in Moga in favour of party candidate Vijay Sathi.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130220/punjab.htm#1

The Tribune – State to launch card for NRIs

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 30. The Punjab Government today decided to launch a card for NRIs to give a specific identity to them, besides offering them a slew of facilities. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, accompanied by NRI Affairs Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and former Union Minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, asked the NRI Affairs Department to immediately work out the details of this proposal and implement it at the earliest.

Sukhbir said Punjab had to involve NRIs in the process of development by assuring them support of the state government and offering them legal support in their cases.

The Deputy Chief Minister gave in-principle approval for a unique NRI card to be offered to every NRI who would be able to apply for this card on the website of the NRI Department. The card besides giving identity to the NRIs for all official purposes, would assure quality medicare to them, besides offering them attractive discounts on shopping in Punjab.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120731/punjab.htm#11

The Tribune – Saanjh Kendra starved of funds

Gurdeep Singh Mann, Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 30. Faced with a severe financial crunch, Saanjh Kendra officials are loking to NGOs, businessmen and doctors to raise funds. These kendras are run by special committees comprising prominent citizens. Funds for the kendras are released by the area SSP.

A brainchield of the SAD-BJP Government, the Saanjh Kendras were set up to help residents with online FIRs, provide services under the Right to Service Act, passport verification, payment of traffic challans, verification of tenants, character verification for service registration, verification of servants, police clearance certificate, verification of vehicles and permission for use of a public address system.

Out of the total 115 such kendras in Punjab, 14 are in Bathinda. “These kendras have proved to be a white elephant. At times we have to ask people to bring with them paper sheets for a printout of an FIR”, said a police official deployed at one of the kendras.

He was busy writing letters to prominent businessmen and doctors for donation. “The committee formed to run these kendras is dragging feet on several matters.We are always running out of stationery and ink.We require a plumber, a carpenter and a gardener. And above all, we need funds to run the kendras”, he said. A committee member said 10 more members had been placed on the committee. It had been suggested that each member should contribute at least Rs 500 every month.

SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill said that funds had now been allocated for these kendras and a written communiqué in this regard would be sent to the committees within a week.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120731/punjab.htm#10

The Tribune – Budget fails to push crop diversification programme

Jangveer Singh, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 23. The Punjab Budget has failed to give a practical shape to the more than two decades-old plan to diversify to other crops from the traditional wheat-paddy cycle. It has also failed to earmark special funds to strengthen the rural economy. No special package or subsidies for small farmers have been announced so that they could take up dairy farming or net house cultivation of vegetables.

There is a sense of despondency that the SAD-BJP government has not matched up to provide the much-needed impetus to ensure growth in the agriculture economy. During the 11th Plan from 2007 to 2012, the state achieved a growth rate of 1.6 per cent against its own target of 2.3 per cent and national growth rate of 3.43 per cent.

The diversification proposal was first moved in 1986. Since then there have been two concrete plans, both by eminent economist Dr SS Johl, but the government has failed to reduce area under paddy cultivation, which is responsible for the receding water table in the state. This is because farmers get assured income from the wheat-paddy cycle.

Nehru Chair Professor at the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) Ranjit Singh Ghuman says the state needs to come up with a viable alternative crop and if that is not possible, as it seems likely, it must give subsidy to cover up for the loss suffered in case farmers are asked to give up paddy cultivation.

Ghuman says though everybody is still talking about diversification, the latter has become irrelevant now. “What we need is diversification of the total rural economy”, he said, adding that in the past 25 years, rural education and health had completely collapsed and the rural youth are not employable. He advocates integration of the rural economy with industry as well as development of the rural non-farm sector with policy intervention.

CRRID Director-General Suchha Singh Gill says the Budget has failed to come out with a special package for small farmers. He says net house cultivation of vegetables has been successfully demonstrated by the State Farmers Commission and that the government must set aside a large outlay to make it popular. Similarly, he said the milk economy could be further strengthened by giving subsidy to small farmers to buy milch animals and also provide them free insurance and assured veterinarian support.

Agriculture issues might not have been fully addressed, but the farmers themselves are happy at the manner in which the dairy sector is developing. Rajinder Singh of Kauli village in Patiala said steps were already being taken to improve animal livestock and that the Budget had more funds for this purpose.

Another silver lining includes an increase in funding to the PAU, Ludhiana, by Rs 65 crore. However, kisan leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said the government should have specified that this money would be spent on research only. “I suspect it will be used to pay salary arrears”, he added.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120624/punjab.htm#8

The Tribune – Panjab Finance Agenda 2012-17

Times are tough, time government got tough
After 5 years of struggling in dire straits, the SAD-BJP government has a fresh start
Unless it takes some hard decisions, the state will continue to be a dole economy.
The need is to stop giving people a false sense of being looked after, and charge where needed

Ruchika M. Khanna, Tribune News Service

Unpaid bills, salaries and arrears of state government employees; a huge debt burden of Rs 78,000 crore; and sops in the SAD poll manifesto that threaten to take away an additional Rs 10,000 crore each year. All this, from the empty coffers of Punjab.

This is what stares the re-elected SAD- BJP government in the face as it readies to once again take over the reins of the state.

However, perhaps, this time round, the alliance leadership seems to be conscious of how debt-stressed Punjab is. They have been quite vocal about the need for finding an effective Finance Minister for the state. After all, whosoever handles the portfolio, will be under tremendous pressure — not just to mobilise additional resources for the cash-strapped state, but also to steer it towards the path of fiscal consolidation and setting right the dismal account books.

Punjab is like an ill-managed household. It spends almost Rs 3,300 crore more than it earns in a year. Its debt is double its earnings, and yet it continues to dole out new sops. While many present employees have not receive their salaries, the unemployed are being offered an allowance of Rs 1,000 per month; free education for girls up to college level; enhanced widow pension; free laptops to students and Wi-Fi connectivity.

These promises made in the SAD manifesto with empty coffers will cost the state an additional Rs 10,000 crore per annum. And that too without a road map for increasing the total earnings.

As the critical exercise of forming the government kicks off, a debate is on among the general public on what immediate financial issues need to be addressed by the new government. There is anxiety over the impoverished exchequer burdened with unpaid bills of Rs 2,000 crore. With excise collections now reaching a plateau, how will the state manage its rising expenditure?

The huge debt liability, servicing of debt and the freebies announced will only increase the massive revenue deficit of Punjab, which is among the highest in the country. The salary and pension bill, along with debt servicing, will amount to more than 74 per cent of the state’s revenue receipts, exceeding the norm of 35 per cent laid by the Finance Commission.

Fiscal reform

Undoubtedly, the new government will have to start immediately on the course to fiscal reforms. Imposing certain new state taxes, ensuring better tax compliance by plugging evasion, and controlling the non-plan and administrative expenditure will be key. After all, Punjab cannot afford to miss the bus on reforms, and has to demonstrate fiscal resurgence.

Talking to a number of experts and economists, The Tribune found the goal for Punjab has to be curtailing its expenditure and improving its tax-to-Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) ratio. The ratio today is 6.5 per cent (and 9 per cent if you add the Central taxes), which is the lowest among states. Most states have a tax-GSDP ratio of 9.5 per cent. If not higher, the state will have to bring this ratio at least on a par with the other fast-growing states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

With the state having one of the highest per capita incomes, the tax-GSDP ratio, too, should be higher. By raising this ratio, the state could generate an additional 20 per cent in taxes. In order to raise this bar, the government should expand its house tax net, increase water and sewerage charges; impose re-registration of vehicles that are over 10 years old; besides ensuring that abiana (user charges for canal water) is collected.

Get rational

With a huge subsidy bill of Rs 5,000 crore — including Rs 4,600 crore of power subsidy alone — the new government will also have to relook at the concessions it has extended to various categories and rationalise the benefits.

Experts suggest that the SAD-BJP government in its second avatar should also ensure better tax compliance and stop VAT and excise evasion, which alone could add upwards of Rs 3,000 crore to the state’s kitty.

Local bodies

The new government also needs to make its urban local bodies economically self-sufficient, i.e., generate their own sources of revenue. This will free the 10 per cent of VAT collections, which is currently going to the civic bodies, for other development activities.

There is a need also to make the State Planning Board more effective, to ensure judicious expenditure by the government.

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http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120319/punjab.htm#1