In a bid to give impetus to investment promotion in the state under the ‘Progressive Punjab Campaign’, the Punjab Cabinet today approved the establishment of the Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion (PBIP) to carry forward the new investment policy of 2013 expeditiously in a time bound manner. A decision to this effect was taken here at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal this afternoon. Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that the bureau would have a Board of Governors (BoGs), an executive committee and a chief executive officer to discharge its functions. The BoGs of the PBIP as its apex governing body would be chaired by the Chief Minister while the Deputy Chief Minister/Minister in charge Investment Promotion department would be its co-chairman besides Industries Minister as its vice chairman. The other members of the Bureau would include six Cabinet Ministers, Chief Secretary and other concerned Secretaries, besides the Chief Executive Officer as its member-secretary. Apart from these, three technical experts and five representatives of trade, industry and commerce would be nominated by the state government. The BoGs being an apex body for all matter relating to the bureau would be responsible for approving its regulations and procedures and allocating such functions to the Executive Committee and the Chief Executive Officer which were not otherwise specified. The Executive Committee comprising of important administrative secretaries would be chaired by the Chief Secretary. This committee would regularly monitor, supervise and review the functioning of the bureau. It would also be responsible for organizing campaigns, events, conferences and meetings for promoting Punjab as an investment destination both in India and abroad. The Chief Executive Officer would receive, process and approve all investment proposals including new investments and modernization, upgradation and expansion of existing industrial units. He would coordinate all efforts of the state government to encourage new investments and its actualization in the state in respect of all sectors of trade, commerce and industry.
In order to provide opportunity to those dealers who have defaulted in paying VAT, bonafide or otherwise while submitting their returns and paying the tax but were apprehensive about the stringent penal provisions and undue harassment, the cabinet gave a go ahead to Excise & Taxation department’s ‘Voluntary Disclosure Scheme’. This scheme open until December 31, 2013 would offer an opportunity to dealers to rectify their mistakes and cover those taxable persons who have claimed the Input Tax Credit, but the tax has not actually been paid into the state treasury on the goods so purchase. This scheme will also cover the taxable persons who have claimed concessional rate of tax claiming branch transfer/interstate trade, but actually the goods were not sent outside the state, the taxable persons who have submitted statutory forms for claiming concessional rate, but the same are not proper and genuine and the taxable persons who have claimed zero rated sales on account of exports but either the exports have not taken place or they are over-invoiced. The dealer will undertake to deposit the correct/actual tax due along with 1.5% interest from the day the tax was due. The designated officer will calculate the tax due and inform the applicant within 30 days. These dealers will pay 25% of the tax due plus interest within a month. The dealer may pay the balance 75% amount also within this period of 30 days. If a dealer has any cash flow problems, he may deposit the balance amount in three quarterly installments bearing interest of 1% per month. But the dealers under investigations or whose premises had been already inspected will not be covered under this scheme.
In recognition of enormous contribution made by the former Prime Minister late Mr. Inder Kumar Gujral towards the overall development and prosperity of Punjab, the Cabinet gave nod to rename the Punjab Technical University Jalandhar as IK Gujral, Punjab Technical University as a befitting tribute to the nationally and internationally acclaimed personality. Giving a major relief to the owners of newspapers, the Cabinet also gave approval to reduce VAT from 5.50% + 10% surcharge to 2.0% +10% surcharge on Newsprint. This decision would facilitate the local newspaper owners to purchase newsprint from Punjab rather than purchasing it from outside the state. It would also attract paper industry in the state besides enhancing the revenue of the state.The Cabinet also gave green signal to the new policy for allotment of 402 acres for IT services, ITES, Bio-Technology (Non-polluting) and Technology based Non polluting/Research & Development Facilities in Knowledge park SAS Nagar- 2013. The said policy is aimed at developing the IT industry hub for the welfare of public, general employment and overall development of the state. The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) had already acquired 1686 acre land in sector 82-A, 83-A and 101-A, of which 402 acres would be utilized for IT and IT enabled industry. The policy gives adequate incentives to big IT companies and knowledge based industries while it will also take care of budding IT entrepreneurs and small scale IT industry. A rationalized allotment price of land is the hallmark of the policy. Unlike such policies hither to, this policy ensures that the land would remain on lease basis for initial seven years to ensure that the allottee sets up a functional unit and cannot dispose of land without selling up a unit. The lessees would be under obligation to set up their units in specified time. Extension up to two years would come only at a cost.
In order to bring down the rates of sand and gravel (bajri) in the market, the Cabinet decided to reduce the rate of Environment Management Fund from 15% to 10% and simultaneously slashed the rates of royalty on sand/bajri from Rs.60 per tonne to Rs.30 per tonne. In a major relief to the textile industry, the Cabinet decided to exempt cotton seed (banaula) and cotton (ginned & unginned) from levy of Infrastructure Development (ID) Cess. This decision was expected to give substantial boost to the textile sector besides incurring a net loss of Rs.35 crore annually to the state exchequer. The Cabinet gave approval to set up the Punjab Gau Sewa Commission for ensuring the protection accorded to cow under any law for the time being in force including seizure and custody of the cow being carried for slaughter or likely to be slaughtered in contravention of any law in force and to initiate criminal action against accused person and promote health care of cows to inspect and supervise institution, to suggest any measure which may be helpful in strengthening of institution which are economically weak.
The Cabinet also approved the guidelines for laying of Cables and installation of telecom towers, masts and poles by infrastructure licensees. Rationalized rates would now be applied for erection of towers, masts and poles. These guidelines were aimed at creation of robust telecommunication infrastructure with adequate bandwidth to promote information technology, e-governance, e-commerce, convergence of information, communication and entertainment sectors, which would improve the state of the economy, enhance the quality of life of citizens and ensure development of urban and rural areas with equity throughout the state. The Cabinet decided to grant extension in the contractual services of Health/Veterinary Pharmacists and class IV employees working as service providers at the rate of Rs.7000 and Rs.3000 per month w.e.f. December 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014. It may be recalled these service providers were working in 1186 subsidiary health centers and 582 veterinary hospitals functioning under the Zila Parishads across the state. The Cabinet also gave approval to the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Rules 2013 formulated by the state Social Security Development of Women & Children department to take care of overall development of children residing in children homes, observation homes, juvenile homes, state after care homes, special homes, home for mentally retarded children etc in the state. These rules would help in physical, social, psychological, mental and social cultural development of the special children (mentally challenged, visually challenged, deaf and dumb children and children affected by natural abnormality) and children in the need of care and protection as these rules describe and provide guidelines not only for providing basic facilities like food, clothing, health, hygiene, entertainment to the children in these homes but will also make environment of these homes full of love, affection and emotionally secured. These rules contain guidelines for the rehabilitation of these children, procedure for adoption of children, foster care, sponsorship etc. Further directions and guidelines have also been given to different functionaries, institutions and authorities dealing with these children to make them accountable. To cope up with the increase in the number of samples related to the cases of Viscera, rape, blood alcohol and samples under excise & NDPS Act for analysis, the Cabinet also decided to create three more posts of analysts in the Chemical Examiner Laboratory at Kharar to bring far more efficiency in its day to day functioning.