Giving a further fillip to its development agenda, Punjab government on Monday released Rs 469 crore towards pending payments for various schemes and development projects, besides clearing the entire pendency of VAT and GST refunds in the state treasury.
The funds released on Monday relate to the local Government and Education Departments, as well as pending Social Security Pensions.
“The funds, released on the directives of the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, are aimed at expediting the pace of development in these key areas,” said a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office.
Of the total amount, Rs 188 crore has been released to the local Government Department for the execution of its ongoing projects, while Rs 138 crore is on account of Social Security pensions for various categories of beneficiaries.
An amount of Rs 77 crore has been released to the Education Department under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) schemes, said the spokesperson.
The government has also released refunds on account of VAT worth Rs 62 crore and GST for Rs four crore, thus clearing its entire pendency in the treasury, added the spokesperson.
The Chief Minister has reiterated his earlier directive to all the departments to manage their finances more prudently to cut down wasteful expenditure to further consolidate the state’s fiscal position, which has already been on the path of resurgence.