Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister today announced that Punjab Government would soon roll out a policy with a view to fix accountability of manufacturing units for any adulteration in agri-inputs like seeds, pesticides, feed, fertilizers etc by keeping retailers and shopkeepers out of apprehensions of any conviction besides saving the farmers from huge losses.Launching Rahat Scheme for traders here, Mr. Badal said the sole motto of this first of its own kind scheme in the country was to make all trades hassle and tension free and it has been implemented to provide a big relief to the retailers and traders. He said the earnest desire of SAD-BJP Government was to create a congenial atmosphere in the trading that's why Punjab was contemplating to launch new policy for sale of agricultural inputs in consonance with Rahat Scheme for the welfare of traders and retailers community.Describing Rahat Scheme a unique and beneficial for 1.86 lakh traders in the state, Mr. Badal said that under this unique scheme the traders and retailers would have to file only a single page registration form with self-declaration about their annual turnover to become Rahat Certificate holder. After getting registration with excise department, traders and retailers would not have to maintain any record and registers besides filing VAT returns, he said adding no excise inspector would visit their premises for checking or inspecting purposes.He also informed the traders and retailers gathered from five districts of Malwa region that in lieu of minimal lump-sum taxes to be paid by them as per their annual turnover, Punjab Government would facilitate them with accidental insurance of Rs. 2 lakh, cashless treatment up to Rs. 50,000 and insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh in case of natural calamity.
Badal further said that Punjab Government has already launched e-district project in three districts and by the end of 2014 as many as 147 citizen centric services would be provided online and people would not have to visit any public office to get their required documents.Meanwhile answering media queries, Mr. Badal said not only Aam Aadmi Party but Congress too has no political future in Punjab. He said AAP would meet the same fate as faced by PPP in previous polls in the state whether they fields Mr. H.S. Phoolka or any other candidate in Lok Sabha polls. He asserted that electorates of our country have decided to bring NDA at Center and Modi wave would wipe out Congress and its political allies besides AAP.In a query related to statement of Captain Amarinder Singh regarding Operation Blue Star, the Deputy CM said it is well known fact that Indira Gandhi was hell bent to decimate the most sacred and religious Sikh shrine Golden Temple. “At that time Captain Amarinder Singh was her advisor and he, himself, advised the then Prime Minister to launch Operation Blue Star”, said he adding but now Captain was trying to mislead people of Punjab for getting political mileage in ensuing polls and to regain the chair of PPCC. Taking a dig at Congress Vice President Mr. Rahul Gandhi, the Deputy CM said inexperienced Rahul was virtually blank as compare to decisive and development oriented BJP's Prime Ministerial Candidate Narendra Modi. In a lighter vain, Mr. Badal said that a person who has double mind to have a beard or not, cannot lead the country and politically he was nothing before Mr. Narendra Modi.When asked about the budget presented by Union Finance Minister, Mr. Badal said that it was the last budget of Congress Party in its 'political life' since in future it would become a dream for Congress to rule the nation. Earlier Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal along with Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Mr. Surjit Singh Rakhra, Mr. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Member Parliament, Mr. Sarup Chand Singla, Mr. Parkash Chand Garg, both Chief Parliamentary Secretaries handed over Rahat Certificates to the traders and retailers of five districts of Malwa region.