Though no relief was given in the Punjab Government’s 2015-16 Budget, it also did not impose any new taxes. However, Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa announced a slew of new initiatives in almost every sector. Giving utmost priority to the development of State’s rural areas and to realise adage of “Pinda ch Vasda”, the Government has introduced Mukh Mantri Pendu Vikas Yojana (Chief Minister Comprehensive Rural Development Scheme) with an allocation of Rs600 crore.
“Development of villages is the top priority of our Government and to take it further I propose to launch Mukh Mantri Pendu Vikas Yojana. The scheme envisages comprehensive development of villages through provision of basic amenities,” said Dhindsa in his budget speech. In the same direction, Dhindsa also announced allocation of Rs45 crore under Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana for integrated development of villages with more than 50 percent population belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs).
Not forgetting development of the urban sector, Dhindsa announced to launch Punjab Urban Development Mission “under which 100 percent water supply, sewerage, sewerage treatment plants, roads and streetlights will be provided in all the cities by the year 2017”.
Punjab’s towns and cities are also set to witness a transformation from the traditional manually-pulled rickshaws and autos to new swanky “e-rickshaws” under a new financing scheme proposed in the Budget.
After coverage of battery-powered e-rickshaws as valid form of commercial transport under recently-passed Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, the State Government has decided to introduce e-rickshaws in the old corporation towns in the first phase “with the twin objectives of providing employment opportunities to the poor and curb air pollution in the cities”.
Dhindsa also made an attempt to give a boost to the State’s “beleaguered” industrial sector with the new Entrepreneurship Development Programme for micro and small enterprises for a period of five years for which Rs100 crore has been allotted for the current fiscal. “Under this programme, an interest subvention at the rate of three per cent will be provided on loan taken to set up a micro or small enterprise with investment of up to Rs5 crore,” said Dhindsa.
Apart from that, Dhindsa also announced OTS (one-time settlement) policy for “bringing blocked industrial investment into productive use and to revive existing Punjab industry” for the promoted and loanee companies of PSIDC, PFC and PAIC. Making skill development a “mission”, Dhindsa proposed to set up 2,000 Skill Training Centres for women in rural areas for encouraging employability and self-employment among rural women, besides 500 for training boys with a combined outlay of Rs200 crore.
Recognising the role of cooperative sector in the agriculture, Rs600 crore has been allocated for sugar cooperatives and Rs80 crore for recapitalisation of cooperative banks. To tackle the problem of stray animals, the Finance Minister proposed to set up gaushalas and dog pounds in every district. He added that the initiative will go a long way in protecting the farmers from damage to crops caused by stray cattle and in preventing fatal accidents caused by them.
In addition, to curb threats posed by stray dogs, Dhindsa proposed to set up ‘Dog Pounds’ in every district to take care of stray dogs, and to provide care and shelter to the homeless stray dogs.