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Tag: Punjab Government

  • Punjabis will never forgive Akalis and Congress, says AAP at News18 PH mega-event

    Punjabis will never forgive Akalis and Congress, says AAP at News18 PH mega-event

    Mumbai: Blaming the previous Akali Dal and Congress regimes for the poor fiscal health of Punjab, finance minister and senior AAP leader, Harpal Cheema, on Tuesday said that the Mann government was being forced to take loans to service the debts accumulated by the earlier governments. “These two parties have ruined Punjab. They made no efforts to increase revenues and kept taking loans for their wasteful expenditures, and Punjabis are paying for their misdeeds today and they will never forgive them”, said Cheema.

    Speaking at News18 PH mega-event, Agenda Punjab 2023, Cheema and other senior AAP Ministers and leaders lambasted the opposition parties for their false propaganda against AAP and said their government had fulfilled most of the guarantees that they promised to Punjabis during the poll campaign. “We have given jobs to 40,000 youth and increased salaries of teachers from a meagre Rs 6000 to Rs 25,000”, Cheema said.

    Cheema also accused the Congress and the Akalis regimes of squandering the Rural Development Fund (RDF) for wasteful expenses during their tenures. “While Badal squandered the money on his Sangat Darshans, Congress used it to fund its debt waiver scheme”, said Cheema while accusing the Centre of deliberately stopping funds to AAP government.

    Punjab mining minister, Chetan Singh Jauramajra, said that AAP has zero tolerance towards illegal mining. “Our efforts are to ensure that people get sand at reasonable rates while mining revenue for the state increases”, he said adding that 17 public sand mines opened by the Mann government were ensuring cheap sand to Punjabis. He also said that work for cleaning canals in the state was going on at full pace and within a year 13,671 closed water distributaries would be made functional.

    Food Minister, Lal Chand Kataruchakk, said Punjab had procured an additional 185 lakh metric tons of paddy this season and farmers had been paid Rs 40,726 crores. He said payments to farmers were made within 24 hours of procurement. He also said that the scheme for door-to-door delivery of wheat would commence soon.

    In his interaction Punjab power minister, Harbhajan Singh ETO said that there would be no change in the government’s policy of giving 600 units of free power. He said despite fulfilling its promise of free power, the electricity board had a profit of Rs 564 crores. He also informed that the AAP government had closed 12 toll plazas so far.

    Schools education minister Harjot Singh Bains announced that all government schools in the state will have Wi-Fi connectivity by 31 March 2024. He also informed that all schools with over 500 students would have a security guard on duty.

    Transport minister, Laljit Singh Bhullar, announced that new bus permits would be given only to “Aam aadmi” and not to the elite and the rich. He revealed that the department had earned over Rs 661 crores.

    Sports minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer reinforced that Punjab’s sports policy has yielded very good results and response.  On an important question asked by News18 about there being no injury Rehab Centers in Punjab, Meet thanked for the idea and promised that soon he will start one in the state. The minister appealed to budding players to participate only in recognized sports, he informed that the Punjab Sports Department has also prepared a list of recognized sports.

    Speaker of Punjab Assembly Kultar Singh Sandhwan while interacting with News 18 Punjab said he is working on the implementation & usage of Punjabi Language /mother tongue in the state, he added that he is trying that all the work of Vidhan Sabha also be done in Punjabi. He added that the Punjab government has started a campaign to educate the people about the importance of the mother tongue. He slammed Akali’s for playing politics in the state.

    While referring to the recent reports of deaths of youngsters in foreign countries, NRI affairs minister, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, said while stress is a major contributor, drugs to play a significant role, especially in Canada where drugs are a major problem. He also referred to the ongoing trend of “paper marriages” for seeking foreign visas. “They don’t marry, but get into marriage deals”, he said while adding that these marriages are not meant to last. He also advocated for good relations with foreign countries and said that any tension proves detrimental mainly to the Indians and NRIs settled there.

    Referring to the rise in COVID cases of the new variant JN.1 across India, health minister Balbir Singh said there was no need to be scared of the virus, but precautions are always helpful. He said the state is fully prepared to deal with any threat of COVID-19. He said Punjab’s Mohalla clinics, set up on the lines of Delhi, had been extremely successful and was being talked about in different parts of the world. He said these had benefited people to the tune of Rs 600 crores, as all diagnostic tests including Xray etc, and medicines are free for patients. The minister announced that free facilities of X-ray, ultrasound, tests, and medicines will be available in all government hospitals of Punjab from January 26, 2024.

    Local government minister Balkar Singh while talking at Agenda Punjab said that sewage treatment plants (STP) are being set up at war footing in many cities of the state and more than 100 STP plants are already running. He added that cities are being developed under the Mann govt. and problems of sewerage and water are being resolved.

    Tourism & culture affairs minister Anmol Gagan Maan while talking about the tourism dept. said that investors are coming to Punjab after the successful Rangla Punjab Tourism Summit 2023, held in September. She informed that an investment worth Rs 600-700 crores has already arrived in Pathankot. She added that a Theme Park worth Rs 400 crores is proposed in Mohali to attract tourists.

    Eleven top ministers of the AAP government as well as the Speaker of the Assembly attended the New18 mega event, which focused on Punjab’s socio-political and economic issues, the upcoming Lok Sabha elections among others, and the way forward. The event aimed to understand the future Vision of the Punjab government and set the agenda for 2024.  

    The impactful debates were moderated by the channel’s team of leading anchors.

  • Punjab govt proposes law on outdoor advertising, decision to tax cable, DTH subs pending

    NEW DELHI: Not content with exploring additional local taxes on cable and DTH connections in the state of Punjab, minister Navjot Singh Sidhu now wants to bring in a policy to increase the state government’s revenue from outdoor advertising.

    Sidhu, a cricketer-turned-TV personality-turned politician who’s a minister in the Congress Party-run local government in Punjab, wants to bring a new and “potent” policy to increase the state government’s annual revenue from outdoor advertising to at least Rs 3,000 million, according to a report filed by PTI, which added that the local bodies minister blamed the previous SAD- BJP government for causing “revenue leakage” by framing a “toothless” law in this regard.

    Punjab is earning a meager amount of Rs 250 million annually from outdoor advertising and hoardings in 164 cities of the state as compared to Rs 2,000 million being earned by neighboring Haryana from its municipal areas, Sidhu told PTI.

    The flamboyant Sidhu, who also spends time on the sets of a comedy show when he’s not proposing to bring in new legislations in Punjab, told PTI that the state had suffered a loss of Rs 2,00,00 million from the cable business.

    Sidhu has proposed to levy a token amount of entertainment tax to keep a check on the “cable mafia”, which, he alleged, had “proliferated under the previous (political) dispensation”.

    He also hit out at the previous government for allegedly “looting” the state by facilitating individuals in the outdoor advertising and the cable businesses, and framing laws that benefitted “vested interests”.

    “After an inquiry, following a complaint, I came to know that the government cannot levy a penalty despite the violation of the advertisement law. They (the previous government) made toothless laws which facilitated only individuals,” PTI quoted the local minister as saying who also added that the present regime’s aim was to raise an annual revenue between Rs 250 million to Rs 3000 million from advertisements in municipal areas.

    Laws are being drafted on outdoor advertising and cable businesses in consultation with experts in order to increase the state’s revenue by 10 times, Sidhu said, adding that his department has submitted a proposal to chief minister Amrinder Singh in which a token tax of Rs 2 to Rs 3 (per cable and DTH connection) could be levied (as entertainment tax) to check malpractices in the cable TV distribution business.

    However, sources in the Punjab government told indiantelevision.com that the chief minister has not taken any decision on the proposed entertainment tax on cable and DTH connections as the levying of an additional tax over and above the recently rolled out federal government-mandated GST (goods and services tax) may complicate the tax structure. India’s finance minister Arun Jaitley, though, has clarified earlier that states can levy entertainment tax if they so wish.

    ALSO READ:

    Probe Punjab ‘cable mafia,’ demands minister, Fastway refutes charges

    Punjab govt. studying Arasu & other regulatory models on distribution 

    Retransmission law contravened: Sidhu, Fastway refutes ‘monopoly’ charge

  • Punjab govt. studying Arasu & other regulatory models on distribution

    NEW DELHI:  The Punjab Government is said to be studying Tamilnadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation (TACTV) model as also some other regulatory setups as part of a proposal to explore bringing about more transparency in  cable TV distribution system in the State, while breaking any monopoly that exists.

    A source in the state government confirmed to indiantelevision.com that structuring and functioning of Asasu is being studied by legal eagles. The source added that some other regulatory models are being studied too to explore setting up of a mechanism ensuring that any “monopoly in cable TV distribution”, if it exists, could be broken. The final aim: make the whole system transparent and democratic for all players to operate in Punjab.

    Former-cricketer-turned-politician-cum-TV-personality Navjot Singh Sidhu, a minister in the present Congress government in Punjab, had alleged in the state assembly some time back that  MSO Fastway Transmission Private Limited, under the “patronage” of the previous Akali government, had caused a loss of around Rs 6840 million to the state exchequer. Because of political patronage, Fastway monopolised the cable TV business in Punjab, a PTI report had stated, basing its observations on Sidhu’s claims.

    In a laudable step Punjab chief minister Amrinder Singh, despite his cabinet colleague’s outbursts, in a public statement few days later assured the TV industry  ruling out “vendetta politics”  or any witch-hunt against any MSO or TV channel. Still, he did say any allegations of  tax evasion would be probed as per the law.

    However, the Punjab government source was unable to fully explain to indiantelevision.com how studying the Arasu model would help as the TN MSO is a state government-run organization, which itself has been accused of  trying to monopolise cable TV distribution business in the south Indian state.

    In a set of recommendations first made in 2008, then in 2012 and reiterated in August 2014, broadcast and telecoms regulator TRAI had suggested barring government or government backed organizations from entering the business of TV broadcast or  distribution. The suggestions, part of media ownership’s proposed norms, have been gathering dust in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under successive governments.

    TRAI had observed: “Given that about six years have elapsed without any concrete action being taken by the government, the Authority strongly recommends that …political bodies, religious bodies, urban, local, panchayati raj, and other publicly funded bodies, and Central and State government ministries, departments, companies, undertakings, joint ventures, and government-funded entities and affiliates be barred from entry into broadcasting and TV channel distribution sectors…(and)  in case permission to any such organisations have already been granted, an appropriate exit route is to be provided.”

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    Punjab govt. vows to break cable monopoly, rules out blocking MSO Fastway

    Probe Punjab ‘cable mafia,’ demands minister, Fastway refutes charges

     

  • Punjab govt. vows to break cable monopoly, rules out blocking MSO Fastway

    NEW DELHI: Even though the Congress government in Punjab has made it clear it would not tolerate monopoly in information and news distribution via cable TV, the state government clarified no particular MSO company or TV channel would be targeted and action would be taken if found guilty of tax law violations.

    MSO Fastway, which holds sway in Punjab resulting virtually in a monopoly, is allegedly owned and operated by close aides of former Punjab chief minister’s family — the Badals. The decade-old MSO company also has sizable presence in neighbouring states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Union territory of Chandigarh.

    In an official statement, the present CM Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday ruled out any “censorship” (read blacklisting) of MSO Fastway and Punjabi-language TV channel PTC News or any other media organization. However, he made it clear that action would be taken against media companies if charges of tax violations are proved to be correct.

    Reiterating his government’s stand of providing a level-playing field to TV channels and cable operators, and, thus, encouraging healthy competition, the chief minister ruled out “vendetta politics” against political opponents, but vowed to take action against media companies indulging in malpractices.

    Earlier in April, a Punjab government official was quoted by local media outlets as saying the administration was committed to break any television or cable network monopoly in the state and that it proposes to undertake a study to explore legislating setting up of a Cable Network Authority for the purpose of implementing rules and regulations to be framed for broadcasters, MSOs and LCOs to operate in the State.

    On Thursday, Singh welcomed all segments of broadcasting and media businesses to establish their presence in Punjab, reiterating that his government was committed to “ending the cable mafia”.

    “Let them all come and compete for the viewers’ attention,” CM Singh said in the statement, adding that with wider choice, people would reject any channel found to be engaged in “biased dissemination of news or information”.

    However, the CM warned that if any channel or network, be it PTC or Fastway, is found indulging in “illegal activities in defiance of the legal provisions”, they would be prosecuted.

    Also Read:

    Probe Punjab ‘cable mafia,’ demands minister, Fastway refutes charges

  • Shyam Benegal will make a 90 minute feature for Punjab government

    Shyam Benegal will make a 90 minute feature for Punjab government

    MUMBAI: One of the most renowned filmmakers in Hindi cinema, Shyam Benegal will be making a 90-minute film on the turbulent history of Punjab, a task which has been entrusted on him by the Government of Punjab.

     

    Benegal is known for some of his brilliant work in Hindi cinema, just to name a few: Ankur (1974), Bhumika: The Role (1977), Kalyug (1981), Mandi (1983), Zubeidaa (2001) and more recently Well Done Abba! (2009).

    He will be starting off with the work by monsoon as soon as he is ready with the script and is expecting the film to be ready by December. He feels the project is a great initiative by the government as a lot of youngsters aren’t aware about the formation of the present-day Punjab.

     

    The film will first be screened at the cultural centre, and later will be available on other platforms for viewing.

  • Punjab Government to pass anti-piracy bill in September

    Punjab Government to pass anti-piracy bill in September

    MUMBAI: The Punjab government has decided to pass a bill to prevent piracy in September. The decision was conveyed to film maker Yash Chopra, by the chief minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, post a meeting between the two.

    In the meeting, Chopra apprised the CM of the grim scenario that the industry was facing because of the threat of piracy. Captain Singh took note of the points and declared his government’s resolve to take firm steps to combat the menace.

    Chopra said, “At Yash Raj films, we regard piracy as a cancer that is afflicting the whole industry. The Indian film industry loses a whopping Rs.17 bn annually due to piracy. If not checked right away, it will cause the eventual destruction of this great industry that provides livelihood to thousands of people. And for a creative person there can be no greater tragedy than seeing his labour of love debased in poor quality reproductions where hardly 10 per cent of the creative thought comes across in the manner it was intended.”

    Yash Chopra has been at the forefront of the anti-piracy movement in the industry for a while now. Through his efforts, and otherwise, various government and regulatory bodies, have begun to take note of the dangers of piracy and have passed regulation to combat the same.

    The Tamil Nadu government passed a similar bill in 2004, and since then Yash Chopra has been in talks with the Punjab CM, and finally his efforts have borne fruit. With the Punjab government taking a similar step, the anti-piracy movement has taken a significant step forward.

    Chopra adds, “I would like to thank the government of Punjab for having taken this significant step, and would request other state governments to lend their support to the anti-piracy movement. We are always on the alert to the threat of piracy, but only with support from state and national governments can we bring about the change that is so sorely required.”