PUNJAB GOVT. INKS MoU WITH TATA MOTORS
TO SET UP SIADS
NEW DELHI FEBRUARY 19, 2008
The Punjab Government today signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to set up a state-of-the-art State Institute of Automotive
and Driving Skills (SIADS) at Village Mahuanna in district Muktsar
with a view to generate employment opportunities for the youth
of Punjab in the field of Automobiles.
Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Punjab Government
said that the MoU was signed by the Managing Director, Pepsu Roadways
Corporation (PRTC) Manvesh Singh Sidhu and Vice President (Sales
& Marketing) TATA Motors Ravindra Pisharody on behalf of the
Punjab Government and TATA Motors respectively in the presence
of Punjab Chief Minister Mr.Parkash Singh Badal and Managing Director
TATA Motors Ravi Kant this evening at Kapurthala House.
The spokesman further said that the institute would be set up
by the PRTC which has been entrusted by the state government to
act as a nodal agency for conceptualizing, planning and operationalizing
the said skill development centre. This institute would be set
up over an area of 14 acres and the government of Punjab would
invest Rs.10.17 crore for creating the most modern complex, training
track, computerized driving test and hostel facilities. M/s TATA
Motors Ltd. would invest Rs.2.5 crores as a joint venture partner
in setting up of this institute by way of providing vehicles and
equipment for training. The spokesman also mentioned that the
Operation and Maintenance of the institute would be carried out
by a society set up for the purpose having representatives from
Govt. of Punjab, Pepsu Road Transport Corporation, Department
of Technical Education and Industrial Training and M/s TATA Motors
Ltd.
Stipulating the salient features of the MoU, the spokesman further
said that the institute would aim to develop right attitude towards
driving responsibilities, instill understanding of traffic regulations
and create manpower which was systematically trained in all the
automobiles related trade like drivers, motor mechanics, electricians,
painters, welders etc. The institute would generate gainful employment
opportunities within and outside the State especially in the Middle
East countries by upgrading the skills of existing work force
and to instill driving responsibilities so as to reduce accident
ratio thus ensuring safety of general public.
The spokesman also stated that the TATA Motors ltd. had the
requisite experience and know-how in relation to various processes
related to setting up and managing operations relating to training
centers, motor driving training, imparting technical assistance,
skills in the said trades for maintenance of vehicles and commercial
skills etc.
The spokesman further said that the institute would conduct certificate
courses for imparting training to light motor vehicles, heavy
motor vehicles, "Off the road vehicles" like excavators
and cranes etc. and for other trades related to the automobile
sector like Automobile Mechanic, Diesel Mechanic, Welder, Electrician,
Painter and Air Conditioning. The department of Technical Education
& Industrial Training would provide instructors for all the
industrial training courses and will guide the society in laying
down norms and qualifications for engaging the rest of the staff.
Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion including
Chief Secretary RI Singh, Special Principal Secretary to Chief
Minister KJS Cheema, Secretary Employment & Technical Education
NS Kalsi and General Manager PRTC RS Bal and senior General Manager
government affairs TATA Motors AS Puri.
…
ANNUAL PLAN OF PUNJAB FOR 2008-09 PEGGED
AT RS 6224 CRORE
21.77% hike in outlay over last year
CHANDIGARH, FEBRUARY 19, 2008
The 2008-09 Annual Plan for Punjab Government was finalized
at Rs. 6224 crore at a meeting held today at Yojana Bhawan, New
Delhi between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Dr. Montek
Singh Ahluwalia and Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal.
The Plan outlay includes an Additional Central Assistance of Rs.
200 crore earmarked for the priority projects.
Taking part in the deliberations, Mr.Badal said that the state's
annual plan of Rs. 6224 crore against Rs. 5111 crore for the year
2007-08 has been proposed to step up its the annual growth rate
which was at present a little over 6% in line with national growth
rate of about 9%. The new plan indicated an increase of 21.77%
over the annual plan of Rs. 5111 crore for the corresponding year
2007-08, which was one of the biggest plan allocations so far.
Outlining the priorities aimed at improving quality of life
of the common man, the Chief Minister referred to some key areas
of education, quality healthcare, drinking water, food along with
employment generation for all, including disadvantaged sections
of the society. He urged Dr. Ahluwalia to address these problems
within a time frame and also invited him to visit the villages
of the state to take stock of the situation and feel the pulse
of the rural people who were living in extreme conditions of penury
and were unable to manage even two square meals a day. "If
this trend is not arrested immediately it would ultimately lead
to unrest and would pose serious law and order implications for
the nation, because at this critical juncture these poor and hapless
people are outrightly dejected and disillusioned for the want
of socio-economic justice in terms of basic necessities of food,
shelter and livelihood despite our tall claims of the national
growth rate of 9%", rued Mr.Badal.
On the agriculture front, Mr. Badal urged the Planning Commission
to review the present system of fixing the Minimum Support Price
(MSP) which had also been recommended by the Parliamentary Committee
on Agriculture. He said; 'farm labour needs to be skilled and
MSP should be linked with overall price index. He reiterated what
Dr. MS Swaminathan said hat the MSP should be equal to the cost
of production plus 50%. He also impressed upon the GoI to come
to the rescue of the farmers by granting a special package including
a one time waiver of all agriculture loans amounting to Rs. 26000
crore. It may be recalled that the farm indebtedness has become
an alarming problem in the state. As per national survey, per
farming family debt stands as Rs. 41000 which is the highest in
the country. The Chief Minister also mooted a proposal for creating
an Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) to be financed through a
payment of additional sum of Rs. 100 per quintal on paddy and
wheat procured in the state. This fund would help to rejuvenate
agriculture and rehabilitate the century old canal system and
redress the problem of water logging.
Demanding an industrial package for revitalizing the sick industry
in Punjab, the Chief Minister thanked the GoI for replacing the
tax concessions given by it to our neighbouring states of Uttrakhand,
Himachal and J&K. He urged the Centre to include Punjab in
its proposed Manufacturing Investment Region Scheme besides including
more items in the list to be traded across the land route with
Pakistan.
Making a strong plea for the welfare of Below Poverty Line (BPL)
families, Mr.Badal demanded a fresh survey for identification
of BPL families and redefining their status accordingly. He said;
'the present definition of BPL families does not cover all the
poor people. Even a committee appointed by Supreme Court has recommended
doubling of cut off income limit for poor household to Rs. 49000
per year'. It may be recalled that the present number of families
in Punjab is only 5.23 lakh against 13 lakh SC families. He also
advocated the concept of the inclusion of the percentage of SC
population as one of the criteria for transfer of funds from Centre
to the States as the SC population in the state constituted 28.85%
of the total population which was highest in the country. Referring
to the implementation of NREGA in 4 districts, Mr.Badal said that
it would be implemented through out the state in the coming year
and requested the centre to enhance the norms fixed under Indira
Awas Yojana (IAY) from Rs.25000 to Rs.50000.
The Chief Minister also mentioned that the state government
was committed to arrest the decline in child sex ratio, which
has improved from 796 in 2002 and 818 in 2005 and the state was
hopeful to raise it further to 850 by the end of 11th plan. He
also pointed out that the state government had introduced the
component of gender budgeting with an allocation of Rs.684 crore
in the state plan 2008-09.
Dwelling on the Irrigation potential in the state, Mr.Badal
urged upon the GoI to fund this entire project of Rs. 3200 crore
under relaxed Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)
norms for rejuvenation of canal network, which had virtually collapsed
with the passage of time. Similarly the 'one for one' restriction
for funding of projects should be removed as it was a bottleneck
in taking up new projects for execution both under AIBP and Command
Area Development Water Management (CADWM) schemes. He also demanded
the funding of the lining of the Rajasthan Feeder and Sirhind
feeder at a cost of Rs. 425 and Rs. 225 crore in order to remove
water logging in the South-Western districts of the state and
the funding Shahpur Kandi Project under special AIBP norms (90:10)
applicable for important inter-state projects. He also demanded
the funding the Shah Nehar Project under AIBP norms for special
category states as it was a project for Himachal Pradesh exclusively.
Referring to the scope to enhance the employment generation
in the state, Mr. Badal urged the GoI to open atleast one Skill
Centre in every block of the state under the proposed "National
Skill Development Mission" to further enhance the chances
of employability of our youth in the state.
Underlining the need to make Punjab self reliant in power by
adding 5000 MW generation capacity in the 11th plan through public
private participation, Mr.Badal sought assistance from GoI in
four specific areas viz. approval for 49% equity participation
in Rajasthan Atomic Power Projects (VII & VIII) as well as
allocation of power from the Banswara Nuclear Power Project, GAIL's
expeditious connectivity with Punjab to the Dadri Nangal Gas Pipeline,
release of Rs.143 crore pending APDRP incentive grant for the
year 2003-04 and clearance of 165 coal projects under Rajiv Gandhi
Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY).
The Chief Minister also urged the GoI to financially aid the
state to strengthen science education at school level as our government
had planned to open one 'Adarsh School' in each of the 141 blocks
in the state besides upgrading infrastructure in 351 rural senior
secondary/high schools through Rs.141 crore NABARD aided project.
He also impressed upon the Centre to extend the Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan (SSA) to cover secondary schools also and the funding
pattern should not be diluted from 65:35. He also sought Central
Assistance for setting up an Indian Institute of Technology, Indian
Institute of Information Technology and Indian Institute of Management
in Punjab.
Mr.Badal also requested the GoI for the up-gradation of Govt.
College Amritsar, which was the oldest college in the state under
Pardan Mantri Swasthya Surakash Yojana (PMSSY) with an outlay
of 120 crore. He also demanded Rs.12 crore for the replication
of Amritsar model for urban health care for Bathinda town. Apart
from this, he also asked for upward revision of the State Illness
Fund for Punjab which could not exceed Rs.6 crore and was too
meager as per the present guidelines. Mr.Badal also pointed out
that the state government had initiated a pilot project for providing
potable water in Gidderbaha through Reverse Osmosis in collaboration
with an NGO Naandi Foundation. The capital cost of Rs.5 lakh per
village had been paid by the state government for 53 villages
while the operating cost would be recovered from the end users
who would be supplied water at the rate of 10 paise per litre.
On the transport sector which was an integrated component of
infrastructure development, the Chief Minister urged the GoI to
extend the Kolkatta-Ludhiana Dedicated Rail Freight Corridor upto
Attari border which will boost international trade with and through
Pakistan . He also demanded the Centre for a new rail link between
Amritsar-Ferozepur. He also sought Centre's clearance to release
the backlog of Rs. 130 crore in Central Road Fund allocation to
Punjab besides Rs. 150 crore annually for the upgradation of rural
roads under Bharat Nirman Programme/ Pardan Mantri Gramin Sadak
Yojana. He also sought immediate release of Rs. 21 crore by GoI
for construction of Domoria Bridge in Jalandhar for fulfillment
of the announcement of then Prime Minister Mr.IK Gujral. Mr.Badal
profusely thanked the GoI for approving an International Airport
at Chandigarh and requested for naming it after great martyr Shaheed-e-Azam
Bhagat Singh as a befitting tribute on his birth centenary. He
also urged the GoI to ask the Airports Authority of India to develop
Sahnewal Air Strip near Ludhiana as a domestic airport besides
seeking expeditious clearance from Ministry of Defence for setting
up civil terminals at Bathinda and Adampur.
Emphasizing the need to enhance the present annual allocation
under Border Area Development Programme (BADP), which was too
meager, Mr.Badal asked for special fiscal and other incentives
to be granted for four border districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur,
Ferozepur and Tarn Taran. He also impressed upon the Centre to
grant compensation to the farmers at the rate of Rs.10,000 per
acre for 18,500 acres of land being cultivated across the border
fence which would entail total expenditure of Rs.20 crore. Likewise,
the Chief Minister also requested the Ministry of Rural Development
to approve its proposals for the construction of the link roads
in the border districts and upgradation & strengthening of
rural electrical infrastructure in 18 border blocks at an estimated
cost of Rs. 200 crore and Rs. 312 crore under BADP.
Appreciating the Chief Minister's concern for the plight of
the common man, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia assured him that the
Planning Commission would extend full support and cooperation
in the implementation of the state's annual plan. He also lauded
the state government for initiating measures that had put the
stagnated economy of the state on the path of recovery. He urged
the state government to sustain the momentum of economic growth
which was showing signs of revival so that the state could once
again emerge as a front runner state in the country.
The members of the Planning Commission critically evaluated the
functioning of health, education, social welfare and agriculture
and power sectors and suggested that the state government should
fully utilize the funds provided under various schemes and programmes
in the annual plan.
Prominent amongst others in the meeting included Local Government
& Industries Minister Manoranjan Kalia, Finance & Planning
Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Vice Chairman State Planning Board
Prof.JS Bajaj, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Finance & Planning)
Raj Khurana, Chief Secretary RI Singh, Principal Secretary Finance
DS Kalha, Secretary Planning Satish Chandra and other senior officers
of the state government. Besides the Deputy Chairman and members
of the Planning Commission, Secretary Planning GoI Subhash Pani
and other senior Advisors of the Planning Commission were present.
BURLTON PARK TOBE UPGRADED INTO ULTRA MODERN SPORTS STADIUM-KALIA
Chandigarh: February 19, 2008
A meeting to plan sports infrastructure hub of Jalandhar was held
here today between the Local Government Minister Mr. Manoranjan
Kalia and Mr. I.S. Bindra, President Punjab Cricket Association.
Mr. Kalia said that it has been decided to upgrade the Burlton
Park Jalandhar into an ultra modern sports stadium which would
be even better than the Mohali Cricket Stadium. It was also decided
that upkeep and maintenance of Burlton Park would be taken over
by the Punjab Cricket Association which would also sponsor other
sports in the Sports Complex. The other sports are Hockey for
which a National turf already exists and other games are Billiard,
Snooker, Chess and Squash etc.
He further said that an Olympic size swimming pool with all modern
facilities would be created there. A two member committee has
been formed with Mr. M.P. Pandove and Mr. Ajay Mahajan Additional
Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Punjab, to decide the modalities
for upgrading sports facilities in Jalandhar. The Punjab Cricket
Association would spend 30 percent of the funds to sponsor other
games.
It has also been decided to create a four/five star Hotel to promote
cricket tourism in the area, Mr. Bindra, President Punjab Cricket
Association also promised that the ICL matches and international
tournaments would also be played in Jalandhar through out the
year.
RELIANCE KEEN TO MAKE FORAY INTO RENEWABLE
ENERGY IN PUNJAB
CHANDIGARH FEBRUARY 19, 2008
Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) today evinced keen
interest to tap the renewable energy in Punjab through making
huge investment in this sector as the state had a tremendous potential
in non conventional sources of energy which could be optimally
utilized to further augment the power generation.
An assurance to this effect was given by the delegation led by
Group President of Corporate Affairs RIL Dr. A.Shankar to the
Punjab Chief Minister Mr.Parkash Singh Badal in a meeting at Kapurthala
House, New Delhi this afternoon Dr. Shankar requested the Chief
Minister to enhance the subsidy component for the installation
of projects based on non-conventional sources of energy in the
state. He said that RIL had a proven track of expertise and technology
in the field of renewable energy and they had deliberately chosen
Punjab as their investment destination because it had an investor-friendly
climate coupled with pro-investor policies.
Taking part in the deliberations, Mr. Badal also asked Dr.Shankar
to explore the potential in the wind energy in Punjab. He reiterated
his firm commitment to make Punjab as a power surplus state by
adding 6000 MW within next three years. He assured fulsome support
and cooperation to the RIL for setting up their ventures in the
renewable energy. He also said that he would soon take up the
matter with the Ministry of Renewable and Non-conventional Energy
for the reviving the subsidy on the solar water pumping sets which
had been discontinued by the Centre from the past few years.
Science Technology, Environment and Non-conventional Energy Minister
Bikram Singh Majithia said that renewable energy in any form of
either solar or wind was far more cost effective as well as environmentally
non hazardous as compared to thermal, hydro and bio-mass. He asked
the RIL to also study the viability of the generation of wind
energy in the state which could also be harnessed especially for
the agrarian sector. He assured the RIL that the state government
would soon urged the Centre to grant more subsidy on the installation
of 10 MW power plans from solar energy.
Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting Chief
Secretary RI Singh, Secretary Science, Technology, Environment
& Non-conventional Energy AS Chhatwal, Special Principal Secretary
to Chief Minister KJS Cheema, Chief Executive PEDA TPS Sidhu,
besides Vice President Corporate Affairs Amit Kalra and General
Manager Sales & Marketing (Solar Energy) Gurjit Bharara from
RIL.
GOVERNMENT AIMS AT PROPER UTILIZATION
OF VACANT LANDS PIDB
MADE NODAL AGENCY
Chandigarh, February 19, 2008
The Government of Punjab has initiated a major drive to enlist
vacant and under-utilized Government lands and to put them to
better use and generate revenues for the Government. As part of
the drive, it has obtained information from Deputy Commissioners
regarding lands owned by different Government Departments as well
as other bodies. The information is being compiled and inventoried
by the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board, which has been
designated as the Nodal Agency for the Optimal Utilization of
Vacant Government Lands (OUVGL) Scheme. Earlier, PUDA had been
assigned the responsibility and the Government for proper commercial
utilization had transferred large number of properties to it.
Giving details, Managing Director PIDB Dr. SS Sandhu stated that
the real purpose was not to sell these lands, as was being generally
perceived. The exercise was aimed at first identifying and enlisting
all lands owned by the Government and its bodies, as no ready
record was available at either the district or Government level.
The present physical status of the land would be known and in
the event of any encroachment, the Government would take suitable
legal action for restoration of Government’s possession.
Lands prone to encroachment would be identified and protected.
Also, land records pertaining to these properties would be checked
and updated as it was possible that in the absence of timely up
nation, unscrupulous elements may have taken advantage to grab
these lands by manipulation of land records. Government would
computerize these inventories to facilitate the management of
these lands.
Elaborating further, MD PIDB said that the Government would also
be utilizing some of the vacant Government lands for establishing
new infrastructure like new grid stations or tube wells, etc.
in new or old localities for improving the power and water supply
network, new bus stands, new parks, and offices, etc with proper
planning. The remaining lands would be disposed of under the OUVGL
Scheme in a phased manner. The revenue generated from the disposal
of some of these properties would be spent to improve infrastructure
like roads, street lights, water supply distribution and sewer
network, etc where priority will be given to the area/ department
to which such properties belong. Thus, the revenue generated from
the sale of properties would not be deposited in the consolidated
fund. The coming year would see PIDB engaging itself more actively
in both large and medium-level development projects where some
of the funds so generated would be gainfully utilized, he added.
Even Government of India Departments, like the Railways, was also
leveraging their under-utilized property assets for future projects.
