PUNJAB INDUSTRIAL
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT BOARD LIKELY TO BE SETUP INDUSTRY LAUDS
BADAL'S INITIATIVE ON POWER
CHANDIGARH APRIL 11, 2008
The State Government would soon set up the Punjab Industrial
Infrastructure Development Board (PIIDB) to upgrade the industrial
infrastructure besides promoting industrialization in a big way.
An assurance to this effect was given by the Punjab Chief Minister
Mr. Parkash Singh Badal during an interaction with the representatives
of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) here at Punjab
Bhawan. The Chief Minister said that the industrialization was
the need of the hour and PIIDB would act as a catalyst to bring
it a systematic and scientific manner.
The Chief Minister assured the representatives of PHDCCI that
the state government was committed to promote industry through
the implementation of investor friendly industrial policies and
incentives to the advantage of industrialists and entrepreneurs.
The members of the PHDCCI lauded the power reforms initiated
by Punjab Chief Minister besides setting up of three new thermal
plants to further augment the power generation by 5000 MWs in
the state. Mr. Badal asked the members of the PHDCCI to harness
the joint energies for fighting unemployment and the resultant
frustration amongst the youth. He said this frustration could
lead to conditions of social instability thereby threatening the
peace and development. He said the Government was considering
the setting of joint committee of officers and industrial representatives
to explore the potential for absorption of skilled or trained
youth in various kinds of employment and industry. He specially
mentioned the government's initiative for training the youth for
security arrangements especially for industry.
Conceding the demands of PHDCCI, Mr. Badal assured the representatives
of industry that an industrial help line would be launched soon
to thrash out the issues relating to industry. He also mentioned
the setting up of a high level committee under the Chairmanship
of Chief Secretary at the state head quarters having representation
of officers and the captains of the industry to mutually discuss
the problems faced by the industry and their solution in a time
bound manner. He asked the Chief Secretary to regularly hold a
monthly meeting to evaluate the feedback and suggest remedial
measures to boost investors confidence. Apart from this Mr. Badal
also announced the setting up of two committees one under the
Chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner and another under Assistant
Deputy Commissioner (G) to redress the grievances of the industrialists
on day to day basis.
The PHDCCI also urged the Chief Minister to take up the matter
with GoI for asking Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd. (BHEL) to setup
one of its three proposed Mega Thermal Plants in Punjab. Mr. Badal
assured he would soon meet the Prime Minister and the Union Minister
of Power in this regard.
In a major move to give fillip to the growth and development
of industry, the Chief Minister announced to introduced a system
of deemed clearances to avoid unnecessary delay and harassment
caused to the prospective industrialists. He said now the requisite
clearances from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) would
be issued with in 15 days. However board would issue clarification
regarding the requirement of NOC in respect of green category
units.
The other major demands agreed by Chief Minister included the
slashing of the VAT from 12% to 4% on Compact Florescent Lamps
(CFLs) and flavored Milk. He also agreed to the demand of industrialists
to issue necessary instructions by the Punjab State Electricity
Board directing its staff not to visit the Industrial units where
electronic meters are installed.
The Chief Minister also asked the Chief Secretary to review
the scheme of one time settlement (OTS) for the sick industrial
units amongst the small and medium category and the timely payment
of subsidy due to the eligible beneficiaries. He also pointed
out that there was no proposal to enhance the octroi on electricity
consumption from 4 paisa to 10 paisa. Referring to the development
of focal points the chief Minster mentioned that Rs. 20 crore
had been allocated under annual plan 2008-09 for this purpose.
He also said that the facilitation rules would be made net enabled
and made public immediately.
Prominent among others who were present in the meeting included
Local Government & industry Minister Mr. Manoranjan Kalia,
Media Advisor Mr. Harcharn Bains, Principal Secretary to Chief
Minister Mr. D.S. Guru, and Financial Commissioner Taxation Mr.
S.S. Brar, Principal Secretary Technical Education Mrs. Tejinder
Kaur, Principal Secretary Labour P.Ram, Secretary Industries S.S.
Channy, Managing Director Punjab Financial Corporation G. Vajralingam,
MD PSIEC, S.S. Rajpur, MD Punjab Agro, S.K. Sandhu, Chairman PPCB,
Yogesh Goyal and Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister
A.k. Mahajan.
The PHDCCI was represented by its Chairman Rajiv Bali, Senior
Vice President Satish Bagrodia, Co-Chairman R.S. Sachdeva besides
past presidents Amarjit Goyal and Ashok Khanna.
NO UPFRONT TUTION FEE TO
BE CHARGED FROM SC STUDENTS SEEKING ADMISSION IN MEDICAL COURSES-
TIKSHAN SUD
Chandigarh, April 11, 2008
The Punjab Government today issued directions to all government
and private Medical, Ayurvedic, Homeopathy, Dental and Nursing
Colleges in the State not to charge any tuition fee and non refundable
fees from all Scheduled Caste students who are eligible for post
matric scholarship.
Disclosing this here today Mr. Tikshan Sud, Medical Education
and Research Minister said that this decision was taken by Chief
Minister, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal keeping in view the poor financial
conditions of S.C. students. He said that it was noticed that
some genuine SC students failed to get admission due to their
failure to pay upfront fee to the institutions. He said that according
to early system, student was required to pay fee and other charges
upfront and later seek reimbursement from the government.
Mr. Sud said that with this decision Scheduled Castes students'
eligible for Post-Matric Scholarships would not have to pay their
fees, as the present system of up-front payment. Now the concerned
institutes after admitting eligible students would seek reimbursement
of fee and scholarship from the Punjab Government, after completing
the process of admission. The decision would benefit thousands
of students belonging to Scheduled Castes.
Secretary, Medical Education and Research Mr. Jagjit Puri explained
that instructions have been issued to Registrar Baba Farid University
of Health Sciences, Director Medical Education & Research,
Director Ayush and Principles of All Medical / Ayurvedic, Homeopathy,
Dental and Nursing Colleges in the State to make this decision
part of prospectus of their Institutes and also bring this decision
to the notice of every scheduled Caste Students at the time of
counselling.
Mr. Puri said that while seeking reimbursement of fee, from
Social Welfare Department through proper channel, every institute
would submitt an affidavit affirming that they have not charged
claimed fee from the SC students.
Mr. Puri said that eligible students are entitled for reimbursement
of compulsory non refundable fee for the complete course and scholarship
including maintenance allowance, study tour charges, thesis charges,
printing charges and book allowances etc.
PUNJAB CM CALLS
UPON ENGINEERING & TECHNICAL COLLEGES
TO UNDERTAKE 10+2 CLASSES AS FEEDER INSTITUTIONS
LANDRAN (MOHALI) APRIL 11, 2008
Punjab Chief Minister Mr.Parkash Singh Badal today announced
that the Punjab government would soon formulate a policy to allow
private engineering and technical colleges in the state to run
10+2 classes in their institutions to impart quality education
in the science stream to the students to compete globally.
Presiding over a state level placement drive at Chandigarh Engineering
College here, Mr.Badal asked the management of such institutions
of repute to provide quality education to the students especially
in the rural areas up to 10+2 level as feeder institutions in
the state. He said that once such students were admitted in these
institutions of excellence then their career was assured. He also
impressed upon the management of Chandigarh Group of Colleges
to adopt some Government Sr. Secondary schools in its vicinity
to provide quality education to the students upto +2 level and
the state government would extend fulsome support and cooperation
to them.
The Chief Minister appreciated the Chandigarh College of Engineering
for its excellent and proven track record of the placement of
its students in the national as well as multinational companies.
Emphasizing the importance of the quality education, Mr.Badal
lamented and described the gross neglect of education and human
resource development in the country's planning as an 'alarming
trend' which could inflict long term damage on the nation's overall
development and progress. He squarely held the governments both
States and Centre for the constant deterioration in the educational
system and said now it was a high time to make concerted efforts
to revamp the entire system according to the emerging trends worldwide
in the changed scenario.
The Chief Minister pointed out that Punjab was predominately
an agricultural state but with changing scenario in the country
industrialization has come to the fore front and therefore, Punjab
should also keep a pace with industrialization as the growth rate
in the agriculture sector was almost stagnant. He mentioned that
engineering, technical education and skill development in the
country occupied a critical role in our knowledge economy. "With
the industrialization the need for technical and skilled man power
at various levels has increased many folds. Our Government has
created a new Department of Employment Generation with an objective
to provide job opportunities and self-employment to unemployed
youth every year through special targeted skill development initiatives"
observed Mr.Badal. He said that under this scheme Universities
and the Government would jointly initiate efforts to enhance the
employability of Punjabi youth through job oriented courses, vocational
training and skill development.
Mr.Badal desired that Chandigarh College of Engineering should
be upgraded as a deemed university as it was fully equipped with
the ultra modern infrastructure and well qualified faculty.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister handed over the placement
letters to the students and wished them a bright and successful
career.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of the Chandigarh Group of
Colleges, Satnam Singh Sandhu urged the Chief Minister to frame
a policy to make technical education far more viable with tremendous
employment potential. He said that the number of engineering colleges
had risen from merely 4 to 44 within a short span of five years.
He emphasized the need to streamline the distance technical education
programme which was almost posing a major threat to the growing
unemployment amongst the youth. He said that obliviously the students
of distance education could not compete well with the regular
students. He said that the companies like Wipro, TCS, Satyam,
Oracle, Convergys had evinced keen interest to start their development
centres in Mohali and had also selected many students from the
campus.
Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included
President of Chandigarh Group of Colleges Rashpal Singh Dhaliwal,
Director General Dr.GD Bansal, Director HR & Administration
Er.AC Sharma and Director Chandigarh Business School Dr.SPS Bedi.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary
KJS Cheema and Additional Principal Secretary Gagandeep Singh
Brar.
LAHORE HIGH COURT
JUDGE CALLS ON PUNJAB CM
Chandigarh 11 April, 2008
Hon'ble Justice Mr. Syed Sabbar Raza Rizvi, Senior Judge of
Lahore High Court (Pakistan) here today called on Punjab Chief
Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal to seek his personal intervention
for rehabilitation and renovation of Muslim Shrines at Samana.
He said that 'Dargah' of Imam Ali (Panj Peer), which had immense
religious and historic importance, being a memorial of the descendants
of Hazrat Mohammad Sahib. Justice Rizvi also informed the Chief
Minister that he was the lineal descendant of 'Zanab Meer Amman
Ula', one of the founders of the Samana town. He further said
the 'Dargah' of Meer Sahib was also needed renovation.
Evincing keen interest in the historical perspective of Samana,
Mr. Badal immediately directed his Special Principal Secretary
Mr. KJS Cheema, to visit Samana along with the some top technical
experts and officers of District Administration to chalk out a
time bound action plan for the renovation of these places referred
to by Justice Rizvi. Mr. Badal also approved to constitute a committee,
to guide the district administration for the renovation work.
He also directed that the archaeological designs of these places
to be preserved in their original shapes.
The Chief Minister assured Justice Rizvi for fulsome sport and
cooperation of the State Government for this purpose.
Union Fertilizer
and Chemical Minister agreed to full supply of DAP to the Punjab
NewDelhi, April 11, 2008
Capt.Kanwaljit Singh Cooperation Minister Punjab today called
on the Union Fertilizer and Chemical Minister Mr.Ram Vilas Paswan
in his office and discussed various issues related with the Fertilizers
and problems of the Punjab farmers facing for the shortage of
DAP and sought his cooperation and support for the quick and timely
supply of the fertilizer to the Punjab.
Capt Kanwaljit Singh also informed the Union Fertilizer Minister
about the total requirement of DAP for Kharif 2008 i.e. 2.6 Metric
tonnes and also requested him to release the balance supply immediately
to the Punjab.
Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan Union Fertilizer and Chemical Minister
assured him the timely and full supply of DAP to the Punjab. He
also said that a necessary order in this regard was being issued
tomorrow positively and he also assured that he himself will personally
monitor the supply of DAP to the Punjab.
Prominent amongst others who attended the meeting were the senior
officers of the Cooperative and Agriculture Department of Punjab
and a team of the Fertilizer Ministry headed by Special Secretary
Fertilizer and Director's and other senior officers of the DAP
supply wing of the Union Fertilizer Ministry.
