Punjab Finance, Excise, and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday chaired a high-level review meeting of the Punjab State Traders Commission (PSTC) at Punjab Bhawan, issuing strict directives to ensure all trader grievances are resolved within a one-week timeline. In a major initiative to reinforce the state's business environment, the Finance Minister announced that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal will personally preside over trader interactive sessions starting next week to directly address and strengthen the grievance redressal system.
The review meeting commenced with a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation detailing the crucial timelines of past PSTC meetings and the current disposal status of grievances received through these platforms. Chairing the session in his capacity as the PSTC Chairman, Finance Minister Cheema instructed all related departments to maintain continuous surveillance of the designated portal and ensure that incoming complaints are fully addressed within seven days.
To eliminate bureaucratic delays, he directed commission members to form active WhatsApp communication channels with secretary-level officers and mandated the immediate appointment of dedicated nodal officers at the head offices of all concerned state departments. In a bid to effectively tackle security and operational challenges faced by the business community, the Finance Minister directed the Special DGP (Law and Order) to create a specialized state-level grievance cell within his office.
He said, "This dedicated cell will ensure that law and order issues impacting traders receive immediate, high-level administrative intervention and swift resolution." Furthermore, Finance Minister Cheema emphasised the importance of robust communication with the trading community, directing the PSTC to ensure that notices for district-level meetings are issued well in advance.
He said, "The detailed information regarding these meetings must be publicised widely to maximize awareness, specialy the invitation letters from the Chief Minister must reach the respective traders at least one week prior to the scheduled meetings." Earlier in the session, PSTC Vice Chairman Anil Thakur along with various commission members shared valuable ground-level feedback and insights with the chair.
The high-level meeting was attended by prominent state officials including Financial Commissioner Taxation Ajit Balaji Joshi, Special DGP (Law and Order) P. K. Sinha, Director Food and Civil Supplies B Srinivasan, Taxation Commissioner Jatindera Jorwal, Secretary PSTC Puneet Goel, Director Local Bodies A. S. Brar, Special Secretary Labour Ravinder Singh, and other senior representatives from various state government departments.