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Punjab
August, 2008

 

BADAL FELICITATES DR. MANN ON ACHIEVING GLOBAL DISTINCTION-
PUNJAB'S DOCTOR GETS TOP US AWARD ON DENTAL IMPLANTS

CHANDIGARH, AUGUST 21: A Punjab cadre dentist Dr. Randeep Singh Mann B.D.S, PCMS-I presently on deputation with UT Administration, Chandigarh has got the rare US award on Dental Implants.

Dr. Mann is the first doctor of Punjab and Chandigarh to receive this illustrious Fellowship of International Congress of Oral Implantology. The award is bestowed by the Congress after scrutinizing Oral Implants received from all over the World. Dr. Mann has been invited by the International congress to receive the award at a special ceremony to be held at 11th Implant Prosthetic Symposium being held at Chicago Illinois on August 24, 2008.

The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today congratulated Dr. Mann for achieving this global distinction.

Dr. Mann was recently honoured by Punjab Government with the State Award on Independence Day at Ludhiana. He was also been decorated by UT Administration Chandigarh on 26th January, 2008 for meritorious services.

Dr. Mann has also been appointed as Visiting Oberver Faculty in the department of Dentistry at Yale-New-Haven Hospital and Department of Surgery (Dental) Yale School of Medicine.


 

CABINET APPROVES LAND POOLING SCHEME -REVIEWS FLOOD RELIEF MEASURES,
CM TO SEEK SPECIAL PACKAGE FROM CENTRE

CHANDIGARH AUGUST 21, 2008

The Cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today approved the land pooling scheme for the purpose of land for the purpose of acquisition of land for public purposes.

Disclosing this here today Chief Minister's Media Advisor Mr. Harcharan Bains said that the said scheme would enable the land owners to get developed land in addition to the compensation to be given at market price.

The Cabinet also gave approval for summoning of 5th session of 13th Punjab Vidhan Sabha from 4 to 10 September, 2008. The session would begin with Obituary References on September 4.

The Cabinet also reviewed the flood relief measures being undertaken in full swing by the state government and appreciated the role of Army in this hour of crisis to bail out the flood affected persons. The Cabinet assured that full compensation would be paid to the flood victims for the damage caused to the crops, property and loss of human life. The Cabinet also urged the Chief Minister to take up the matter with the Union Home and Agriculture Ministers immediately to seek maximum financial assistance from the Centre as a relief to be provided to the beleaguered families, besides impressing upon the Centre to relax its stringent norms to make Punjab eligible for adequate compensation in terms of extensive damage caused to the crops, shops and other infrastructure as a 'special case,.

The Cabinet also gave approval for the construction of the world class Cricket Stadium/Sports Complex at Bathinda through Competitive Private Participation over 25 acres of land.

The Cabinet also gave a green signal for the revival and filling up of 100 posts of Medical Officers (General) and 147 posts of specialists through direct recruitment to be conducted by Punjab Public Service Commission. Likewise, the Cabinet also approved to fill 21 vacant posts of Chemical Examiner, Public Analyst and Assistant Chemical Examiner by direct recruitment in the food drugs and excise laboratories in the state. Apart from this, the Cabinet also approved to re-employ the willing medical/dental/Ayurvedic teachers who retired since 2003 onwards to overcome the present precariously grim situation in the state health sciences institutions in which about 107 posts were lying vacant over past the several years.

The Cabinet also approved to transfer 9 out of 13 properties of Punjab Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) to be taken over on disinvestment to the department of Tourism on lease through Punjab Infrastructure Development Board in a transparent manner. The proceeds accrued on account of lease of these properties would go to the Punjab Heritage & Tourism Promotion Board for the promotion and development of tourism.

In order to improve the VAT revenue of the Punjab Government, the Cabinet approved to engage the services of a consultant – Price Water House Coopers to assist the state Government on Revenue Augmentation Initiatives.

The Cabinet also approved to cover sale promotion employees within the definition of 'workman' under section 2(s) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.


RUPEES 1 CRORE CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS CM'S RELIEF FUND

 

CHANDIGARH AUGUST 21, 2008

In response to an appeal of the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal to make liberal contributions towards the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to effectively combat the flood situation and to extend all out help to the flood victims in the state, Agriculture Minister S. Sucha Singh Langha today presented Cheques worth Rs.1 crore to Mr. Badal towards the relief fund on behalf of Warehousing Corporation.

According to Chief Minister's Media Advisor Harcharan Bains, the fund would be utilized to bail out the affected persons for giving them adequate compensation for the loss suffered in terms of crops, property and human life.

Mr. Iqbal Singh Sidhu, Managing Director Warehousing Corporation is also present on the occasion.


 

PUNJAB GOVT. TO SOON INTRODUCE E-STAMPING AS A PILOT PROJECT
IN MAJOR CITIES OF STATE

CHANDIGARH AUGUST 21, 2008

In a significant move to revamp the system of collection of stamp duty and plug the leakage of revenue through modern procedures, the Punjab Government would soon introduce e-stamping in the state.

A decision to this effect was taken here at a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal in CMO this morning after a detailed presentation made by Director Land Records Settlement & Consolidation and Land Acquisition Arvinder Singh Bains.

Mr. Badal said that the e-stamping system would be applicable for all non-judicial stamp duty payments and was likely to be launched as a pilot project from the major cities of Punjab. He hoped that e-stamping being an excellent example of how technology could be used for the benefit of common man and would be a frontrunner in the upcoming e-governance projects in the near future.

The Punjab Government would soon ink an agreement with Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL) to launch and implement e-Stamping across the State.

It may be recalled that the Central Government has mandated SHCIL to act as a Central Record-keeping Agency (CRA) and authorized to undertake the project in the states that were willing to join the e-Stamping system envisaged by SHCIL.

It was also informed in the meeting that SHCIL had already launched e-stamping in the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, NCT of Delhi and recently in Maharashtra. The state of NCT of Delhi government had made e-Stamping compulsory giving a further boost to the efforts of automating the administration process of the Government.

Taking part in the deliberations, Financial Commissioner Revenue Mrs. Romilla Dubey pointed out that the e-stamping system implemented by SHCIL, was a web based application, giving the public the convenience of paying stamp duty to the Government without undergoing the hassles associated with the physical stamp paper and without the risk of losing revenue. The certificate of stamp duty or the e-stamp could be printed by a specified printer once the software application receives the document details.

Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Revenue Minister Ajit Singh Kohar, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Chief Minister's Media Advisor Harcharan Bains and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister DS Guru.


DR. KIRAN MAZUMDAR OFFERS TO SETUP BIOCOM'S R&D UNIT IN PUNJAB

CHANDIGARH AUGUST 21, 2008

Dr. Kiran Mazumdar, Chairperson and Managing Director of M/S Biocom Ltd. Bangalore called on Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal here late last evening and shown keep interest to set up its R&D center in Punjab with an investment near Rs. 100 crore having an employment potential for about 200 scientists.

Dr. Mazumdar emphasized the need to chalk out a joint action programme to involve state's Industry with Universities to work together for overcoming all the practical hardships being faced by both the sectors in the field of Bio-Technology, added that the clinical research in the medical units must be promoted with the involvement of Pharmaceutical Industry. This would also boost the local Industry to work in unison with educational institutes in the arena of Biotechnology as a partner.

Taking part in the deliberations, Mr. Badal said that the Punjab was taking major initiative for the promotion of Biotechnology in the state including the setting up of National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Bio-Processing Unit and Biotechnology Park in Knowledge City, Mohali. He assured Dr. Mazumdar that state government would extend fulsome support and cooperation to them for setting up of Biocom's R&D unit in Punjab.

Prominent among others who were present on the occasion included Science & Technology, Environment and Information & Public Relations Minister Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia, Vice Chairman, Punjab State Planning Board Prof. J.S. Bajaj, , Punjab Chief Secretary Mr. RI Singh, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. D.S. Guru, Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. A.K. Mahajan, Secretary Industries and Commerce Mr. S.S. Channi, Secretary Science & Technology and Non-Conventional Energy Mr. A.S. Chhatwal, Managing Director PIDB Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Chief Administrative GMADA Mr. Vivek Partap Singh besides the senior functionaries from different departments.


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