Cabinet meet today, Rs 200 cr relief likely for industrialists

The Punjab Cabinet is likely to discuss on Monday a Rs 200-crore relief by way of a one-time settlement policy for nearly 1,145 industrialists who have failed to clear their dues for industrial plots allotted to them prior to January 2020, according to sources.

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The government is also likely to restart its interaction with industrialists under the Sarkar Sannatkar Milni initiative to know their concerns and frame policies that promote investment from the home-grown industrialists.

This is expected to roll out after the Budget session, which is likely to begin in the third week of this month.

The move aims at revving up industrial sentiment in the cash-strapped state.

It is learnt that Rs 330 crore is pending towards industrialists for plots allotted by Punjab State Industrial Export Corporation (PSIEC). While the penal interest is likely to be waived, the simple interest at the rate of 8 per cent will have to be paid by December this year.

This is the third major initiative taken by the AAP government in recent days as the ruling party in the state stepped up its game after the electoral loss suffered by it in the Delhi poll last month.

For the past a few days, the government has shown its will to deal with the drug menace, including the “bulldozer” model of demolishing properties owned by drug peddlers.

The first corrective step initiated by the government in the state was a crackdown on corruption in government offices.

It had also dismissed 52 police personnel under the drive. Since corruption in tehsil offices has been a sore point, the government is introducing an online system for the registration of land records.

Mann to meet farm leaders

As farming community continues to be an important vote bank, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will also be meeting the Samyukt Kisan Morcha leaders on Monday to take forward their demands accepted by the state government in 2023.