Chief Minister Amarinder Singh wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his urgent intervention for release of the GST arrears and resolution of other issues to enable effective management of the crisis.
A similar letter was sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah with the Chief Minister stressing that “early action on these issues will help in effective management of the virus as also to provide requisite relief to all those who are adversely affected.
“The release of our GST arrears is of paramount importance as we are facing serious financial constraints.”
Listing issues pending with the Centre for urgent attention, the Chief Minister pointed out that the State government’s GST arrears, pending since July 2017, amounted to ₹6,752.83 crore. He also sought increase in the borrowing limit under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act from 3 to 4%, deferment of industrial loans by commercial banks and agricultural crop loans by commercial banks and waiver of 3 months interest thereon.
Meanwhile, Punjab on Monday reported another COVID-19 related death taking the toll to seven, according to an official statement.
According to the Health department, one woman (75) from Pathankot died on April 6 while 11 fresh cases of were reported taking the tally of confirmed cases to 79, it said.
“The seventh death due to the virus took place in an Amritsar hospital where she was referred to on Sunday,” Special Chief Secretary K.B.S Sidhu said in a tweet.