Chandigarh, June 5
Officialdom in Punjab has virtually deflated the high-sounding manifestos of the ruling SAD-BJP combine. The bureaucracy has now informed the Parkash Singh Badal-led government that several of the promises cannot be fulfilled at all while some assurances require hundreds of crores of rupees to be met.

Immediately after coming to power, the SAD-BJP combine had referred the manifestos to the departments concerned for execution.

Importantly, on the non-starter list are promises on curbing price rise of essential commodities, curbing “inspector raj”, rationalising VAT, setting up new medical colleges and reviewing the controversial Punjab land preservation act, 1900 (PLPA). In a few other cases, the schemes or sops promised to the electorate already existed and the government has been informed in this regard.

A confidential document of the Punjab government in which each department has presented its case on implementing the manifestos, reveals the yawning gap between ground realities and pre-poll promises. A copy of the document is with The Tribune.

In the run-up to the elections, both parties had criticised the rise in the prices of essential commodities and the manifestos had promised that “price rise will be checked at all costs and ensured that the prices of essential commodities remain within the reach of the common man”. Officialdom says the essential commodities act stands amended. Hence, “the state government has no control over prices which are fixed by market forces”. In the pre-poll heat it was promised that the act itself would be reviewed. It has been revealed now that the state has no power to amend the act. It has just to comply with the central act.

On the promise that “blackmarketing and hoarding will be curbed and regular uninterrupted availability of essential commodities ensured”, officials have informed that “no legal framework is available with the state after the act was amended”. However, a separate proposal has been sent to the government to implement this clause.

For the business community —- largely seen as the BJP vote bank —- the manifesto of the combine said “inspector raj will be curbed”. The excise and taxation department of which Parkash Singh Badal is himself the minister nonchalantly claimed “there is no inspector raj in the state”. The manifesto said “dealers having a turnover of up to Rs 10 lakh will be exempted from VAT or the turnover tax”. It also talks of the “simplification of VAT”. The official stance is: “It will not be appropriate to make changes” as both things are as per the national consensus arrived at the empowered committee of state finance ministers.

Another promise was to allow annual instead of quarterly submission the “C” form by traders. Officials have now said “it is for the government of India to decide and the state government cannot do anything in it”. The manifesto said “ VAT refunds will be given in 30 days”. Officialdom says the VAT refund procedure is the simplest in Punjab and the time has been reduced from 90 days to 60 days. And since July, 2006 (Amarinder Singh’s tenure), 75 per cent of the claimed refund is already allowed on application to the traders.

The issue of amending the PLPA, 1900, has been hanging fire for a long time. About 76,000 hectares in the kandi belt is locked under the PLPA. While people are crying hoarse to get the land denotified, officialdom in its list of action proposed speaks of an “ … ongoing review to make implementation more efficient to address the needs of the community and conservation”. It does not reveal to the government that the deputy commissioners of the affected districts have been asked to provide the records of all areas under the PLPA so that the Supreme Court and the union ministry of environment can be suitably informed. The DCs have not sent the complete records despite the matter being more than one year old.

(To be concluded)