Punjab government Fully committed to bridge the gap between the privileged and the   marginalised: says Governor 

Chandigarh, March 1, 2024: Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit on Friday reiterated the firm commitment of the state government to bridge the gap between the privileged and the   marginalized,   to   ensure   that   the   fruits   of development   reach   every   section   of   society. 

In his address during the sixth session of 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the Governor said that the journey of Punjab, our vibrant state, is intertwined with the indomitable spirit of its people, who have time and again demonstrated resilience, determination, and a relentless pursuit of progress. He said that today it   is   imperative   for   us   to acknowledge  the  challenges  that  confront  us  and chart  a  course  towards  a  future  that  is  defined  by prosperity, inclusivity and sustainable development. Banwari Lal Purohit said that one of the foremost priorities of my Government is to foster an environment of inclusive growth, where every  citizen  of  Punjab  has  equal  opportunities  to thrive  and  prosper.  

The Governor said that his Government has  successfully   launched   the   last   mile delivery   of   ration   to   every   household   in   Punjab under the scheme Ghar Ghar Muft Ration. He said that the state government has        launched  several groundbreaking schemes in the important sectors of Health  and  Education.  He said that 664 Aam Aadmi Clinics are successfully operational throughout the state of  Punjab adding that a total of 1.07  crores  of  people  have  visited the clinics to seek the medical treatment.  Banwari Lal Purohit said that Medicines worth Rs.  450 crores  at  the  prevailing  market rates and  diagnostic  tests  worth Rs.  70  crores  have  been provided to the patients at these clinics.

The Governor said that the state government is   committed   to   provide   free medicines    to    all    the    patients    in    Government Hospitals adding that this year,  medicines  worth  Rs.  222  crore have been purchased for supply of free medicines in Government      Hospitals.   He said that the state Government      is committed to provide X-rays and Ultrasound facility in  all  the  District  Hospitals,  Sub-Divisional  Hospitals and Community Health Centres. Banwari Lal Purohit said that a comprehensive  plan  has been made for the upgradation of buildings of all the District Hospitals over the next three years. 

The Governor further said that his Government  has started  “Punjab  Sikhya  Kranti”  to improve  infrastructure  in  all  Government  schools adding that as a part of this campaign work on  building  boundary  walls  in  7082  schools has started and out  of these  1429  schools  are  getting  boundary  walls  for the first time. He said that till now 12126 schools have received internet connection, 4369  toilets  in  the  schools  have  been repaired and In  addition  to   that 95,000 dual desks are being provided to government schools. Banwari Lal Purohit said that state Government    is    committed    to    make    118 Government Senior Secondary Schools as Schools of Eminence adding that these schools   will   be   equipped   with smart     classrooms,     fully     equipped     labs     and playgrounds for scientific learning.

The Governor said that with all these efforts the enrollment in government schools  has  been  increased  by  around  17%  in  Pre- primary classes.

He said that state Government  has  ensured  to  make  canal  water available  to  farmers at  the tail ends who were deprived of canal water for years. He said that during  this   year,   utilization   of   canal   water   has increased by more than 38% during the period when there  was  peak  demand  of  water adding that this was  made possible due to the timely cleaning of the canals and the   daily   monitoring   of   canals   with   the   help   of technology.  Banwari Lal Purohit said that 45 canals  with  an  approximate length    of    400    kilometres,    which    were    lying abandoned, were made functional and  than 1000 kilometres of canal were concrete-lined for the first time adding that 14100  water  courses  which were lying idle for the last more than 30 years have also been restored.

The Governor said that he is happy to inform that with the consistent efforts and      monitoring      by      my      government,      the Shahpurkandi  Dam  Project  which  was  pending  for execution for more than 25 years, is seeing the light of the day at last and filling of water in the reservoir of the dam has been started. He said that this will help the State to stop  any  water  going  downstream  to  Pakistan and will also create an irrigation potential of more than 37,000 hectare and will help in creating an additional power  of  206  megawatt.  Banwari Lal Purohit further said that the dam  will  create  new tourism         potential         creating         employment opportunities for the state.

The Governor said that state Government   is   fully   aware   of   the   declining groundwater table in the State. He said that in many districts the groundwater  is  declining  at  an  alarming  rate.  Banwari Lal Purohit said that to arrest this declining trend, canal water is being used to  recharge  the  ground  water  and  for  this  purpose 129  recharge  sites  have  already  been  constructed just in one year.

The Governor  said that state Government   has acquired a private thermal plant GVK Goindwal Sahib of  540  MW  capacity  at  a  very  low  cost  which  is history in itself by any state Government. He said that this plant has been acquired at a cost of₹1080 Crores i.e.₹2 Crore per MW whereas a new thermal plant costs₹ 8.5 Crore/ MW. Banwari Lal Purohit said that after Acquisition this plant has been renamed as  Guru Amardas  Thermal  Plant adding that with the use   of   Coal   from   Punjab’s   own   Pachhwara   Coal Mine, the generation from this plant will increase by more  than  double.  

The Governor said that there will  be  saving  of  about₹ 350 Crores per Year in terms of Power Purchase cost. He said that  during 2023-24  Punjab  has  met  its  all  time  highest ever    peak    demand    of    15,325    Megawatts    on June 23, 2023.  Banwari Lal Purohit said that his Government has implemented a free  electricity  scheme  of  300  units monthly  to domestic   consumers   since   July   2022 adding that this has benefited around  70  Lacs  i.e.  90%  of  households, receiving zero bills in a billing cycle.

The Governor said that state Government has launched a new scheme namely Door-Step  Delivery  of  Services under “Bhagwant  Mann Sarkar  TuhadeDwar”   to   provide  services  to   the citizens  at  their  door-step  on  demand.  He said that Under  the scheme,  43  citizen  services  were  identified  which constitute  more  than  99%  of  the  volume  of  the transactions adding that more than 15,000 citizens have availed the   services   till   date.   Similarly   Banwari Lal Purohit said that another   scheme namely  AAP  ki  Sarkar  AAP  De  Dwar,  under  which camps  are  being  held  all  over  the  State  to  provide services  to  the  citizens  in  their  village  has  been launched adding that than  8  lakh  citizens  have  already visited the camps and have taken the benefit of the availability of services at their places of residence.

The Governor said that state Government  is  committed  to  providing  a  boost to the investment and industrial infrastructure in the State.  He said that with  its  earnest  efforts,  my  Government  has received  4242  investment  proposals  with  proposed investment   of   about   Rs.   65,993   Crores   with   the proposed employment of about 3,20,882. Banwari Lal Purohit said that state Government have also introduced Green stamp paper in the registration   of   sale   deed   to   ensure   faster   and smooth issuance of regulatory clearances to industry projects.

The Governor said that in last one year, my Government has given job/self employment facility to 1,11,810 candidates through 1,332  placement  camps/job  fairs/self-employment camps.   He said that the state government   has   set   up   25   new Government  Industrial  Training  Institutes  in  the State adding that with the  opening  of  these  new  ITIs  about 8000 youth of the State will get benefits. Banwari Lal Purohit said that Continuing  the  endeavour  of  providing  government jobs    on    merit    to    deserving    candidates,    my Government   has   ensured   fairness   in   recruitment while   also   ensuring   efficiency adding that more than 40,000 jobs have been given so far to youth of the state.

The Governor said that state Government   is   committed   to   provide   safe drinking  water  to  every  rural  household  in  Punjab. He said that  in  April  2023, Punjab  became  the  fifth  state  in  the  country  to achieve  100    percent    coverage  in    providing Functional Household Tap Connection to every rural household. Banwari Lal Purohit said that the  focus,  in  recent  years  has  been  to  use surface  water  instead  of  ground  water,  particularly in areas affected with geological contaminants such as  Arsenic,  Floride  and  Iron.  

The Governor said that state Government has increased maintenance monthly grant  of  Blue  Star  affected  Dharmifauji  from  Rs.10,000 to Rs. 12,000. Likewise he said that Ex-Gratia to the Defence/Para Military     Personnel     who     are     disabled     during performance   of   their   bonafide   official   duties   in War/Operations  has  been  doubled  depending  upon the disability. Similarly Banwari Lal Purohit said that the state Government has increased financial assistance to the beneficiaries of War Jagir from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 annually.

The Governor said that state Government had notified State’snew Sports Policy in 2023 to restore Punjab’s glory in the  field of sports adding that under  the  new  Sports Policy for the first time, a sum of Rs. 4.59 crore was given    in    advance    as    preparation    grant    to    58 sportspersons from state, selected to represent the country   in   the   Asian   Games.   He said that For   the   first   time, players  from  Punjab  bagged  20  medals  in  the Asian Games, which is the highest medal tally since Asian Games started in 1951 adding that they were given cash reward   of   Rs.   29.25   crore   without   delay.   

The Governor said that the state government  has also  given cash  reward  of  Rs  4.58  cr  to 136 players from state who won medals in National Games 2023 held at Goa.

He said that to recognise  achievement  of  9  players  from  state who  won  Bronze  Medal  in  Hockey  in  the  Tokyo Olympics  2021,  after  4  decades,  one  cricketer  and one athlete my Government appointed  7 players to PPS and 4 to PCS recently. Banwari Lal Purohit said that  Government  had  taken  the  initiative  of  starting Khedan     Watan     Punjab     Diyan which     saw     a participation  of  4.5  lac  children,  youth  and  veteran players  in  Second  season. 

The Governor said that state Government has been instrumental in acquiring 40 acres land costing Rs 16 crore at Adampur for construction of      state-of -the art Civil Air Terminal by  Airport  Authority  of  India  at  Cost  of  Rs.  110.00 Crore.  He said that Addtionally  my  government  has  invested  Rs. 41.40      crore      in      providing      essential      allied infrastructure,   showcasing   commitment   to   robust development. Banwari Lal Purohit also lauded the positive impact of state government  in allocating    135.54    acres    in    Ludhiana     for    an International  Civil  Air  Terminal  at  Halwara.  

The Governor said that as  promised   by   his Government,   the   drive   to eradicate corruption continued with increasing pace. He said that in order   to   ensure   transparent   governance,   my Government  has  adopted  a  Zero  Tolerance  Policy towards  corruption.  Banwari Lal Purohit said that State  Vigilance  Bureau,  Punjab during  the  period  from  16-03-2022  to  08-01-2024 has  registered  195  trap  cases  against  23  Gazetted Officers,  193  Non-Gazetted  Officers  and  55  private persons    who    were    caught    red    handed    while accepting   illegal   gratification adding that 241 criminal cases were registered in which 82 Gazetted Officers, 269 Non Gazetted Officers and 300 Private Persons were involved.

The Governor said that the state Government  has  launched  the  first  of  its  kind initiative in the country, a dedicated Sadak Surakhiya Force   to   ensure   enhanced   security   and   to   save precious  lives  on  the  State  and  National  Highways. He said that Specially  trained,  freshly  recruited  1597  personnel are to act as the back bone to this force, who  have been   provided   with   latest,   fully   equipped   144 vehicles. Banwari Lal Purohit said that the force has been deployed all along 4200 km  of  the  Highways,  prone  to  traffic  accidents adding that in addition to patrolling in the assigned areas, they act as   a   deterrent   for   traffic   violations   and   more.

The Governor said that state Government  has  notified FARISHTEY  scheme, in order to save the life and limb of accident victims and go encourage  the  general  public  for  their  hassle-free participation towards helping the accidental victims. He said that state Government   will   offer   a   financial   reward   of Rs.  2000/-  to  commend  their  noble  deeds.  Banwari Lal Purohit said that Apart from financial reward, a certificate will be issued to such persons and they have been provided immunity from legal complications and police inquiries.

The Governor said that Law and  Order  situation in Punjab is improving day   by   day and Punjab   Police   has   started   various initiatives  in  this  regard.  He said that some of  the  prominent moves include  the  launching  of  Anti  Gangster  Task Force (AGTF) and PGD Portal. AGTF has spearheaded dedicated operations against gangsters and criminals in the  state and  other  parts  of  the  country,  leading to   the   arrest   of   several   wanted   gangsters   and criminals   and   busting   various   gangster   modules along  with  recovery  of  huge  cache  of  arms  and ammunitions.  Banwari Lal Purohit said that till date,  AGTF  along  with  other  field units   has   succeeded   in   arresting   951   gangsters/ criminals, neutralisation of 14 gangsters, busting 312 modules,  recovering 963 weapons  and 208  vehicles used in criminal activities.
 
The Governor said that Punjab Police have arrested as many as 25,385 drug smugglers  after  registering  18,953 FIRs  since  March 16, 2022, and recovered 1860 Kg Heroin from across the   state. He said that additionally,   147   Kg   heroin   was recovered   by   the   teams   of   Punjab   Police   from Seaports  of  Gujarat  and  Maharashtra,  taking  the total effective recovery of heroin to 2007 Kgs. He said that apart from this, Police have also recovered 1247 Kg opium,1229 Kg Ganja, 604 quintals of poppy husk, and 1.12 crore   tablets/   capsules/injections/vials   of   Pharma opioids from across the state. Banwari Lal Purohit said that 355 properties of drug smugglers, worth Rs. 142 crores have been approved by the competent authority for freezing.

The Governor said that recognising      consistent contribution  of  the  State  towards  the  central  pool during  the  Financial Year  2022-23  to  the  extent  of 21.40%    in    paddy    and    46.24%    in    wheat,    my Government  has  taken  initiatives to  ensure  similar success   in   other   crops   also.   He said that the focus   area   for diversification of crops in the state has been to shift to those alternate crops which are much less water consuming crops adding that state Government has provided 33% subsidy on cotton seed amounting to Rs. 17.13 crore to  approximately  87,000  farmers  to  ensure  better productivity of cotton in the cotton belt of Punjab.

The Governor said that state Government    has    been    providing    financial assistance  at  the  rate  of  Rs.  1500/-  per acre  to  the farmers for promotion of Direct Seeding of Rice crop adding that under the  same  scheme,  during  the  year  2023-24, around 1,70,000 acres have been covered by 19,097 farmers  with  a  budgeted  subsidy  amount  of  Rs.  75 Crores. He said that in order  to  make  the  Basmati  crop  beneficial  and economically attractive to farmers, state government has   decided   to   establish   a   Basmati   Extension-Research Center and a residue testing laboratory in coordination with APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) which will  give  a  boost  to  Punjab's  Basmati  exports  and directly  benefit  the  farmers.  Banwari Lal Purohit said that This  Basmati  residue testing laboratory will be set up at Jalandhar adding that farmers friends and supervisors are also being recruited to increase the  area  under  Basmati  cultivation.  

The  Governor said that area  under Basmati  has  increased  from  4.95  lakh  hectares  in Kharif  2022  to  5.96  lakh hectares  in  Kharif  2023, which is  about  20%  more  than  that  in  the  previous year. He said that in order to enable farmers to export Basmati of international standards, my Government has banned application  of  10  agricultural  pesticides  in  the  state which has yielded very good results in checking the problem of pesticide residue in Basmati crops. Banwari Lal Purohit said that the state Government has been providing 80% subsidy to farmer   groups/panchayats   and   50%   subsidy   to individual  farmers  for  purchase  of  machineries,  for both in-situ and ex-situ management of crop residue in the state adding that during    the financial     year     2023-24,     approximately     23,000 machines have been provided to farmers under this scheme  and  similarly  in  the  ensuing  Financial  Year also this scheme shall be continued.