Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi chairs a Cabinet meeting at Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh. (PTI/File Photo) Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday accorded approval for implementation of the Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme for students pursuing higher education in government colleges in the state. The scheme will benefit bright students mostly from the general category. The scheme is expected to improve the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in government colleges that is very low at present, a government statement said. The scheme would involve annual financial implication of Rs 36.05 crore.
The statement added that the scheme shall be applicable only to the students studying in government colleges, scholarship amount shall be equal and limited to the concession in terms of percentage in fee being charged by the universities. Students obtaining marks over 60% but less than 70% will be given concession in university fee equivalent to 70%.
Likewise, students obtaining marks over 70% but less than 80% will be given concession of 80%. Students obtaining marks more than 80% but less than 90% will be given concession of 90% and students obtaining marks more than 90% but less than 100% will be given concession of 100%.
The scholarship shall be given to the students only if they are not paid any other scholarships. Further, in case a student is getting scholarship from any other scheme of the state government or the Ventre, and concession available under the present scheme are more than the benefits under that scheme of state or Centre, then only the difference shall be payable to such student.
Industries exempted from paying tax
In a major reprieve to traders across the state, the Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday decided to exempt about 1.5 lakh cases from assessment related to cases of ‘C’ form of VAT for the past years from 2014-15 to 2017-18.
The government has identified about 8500 cases, owing VAT of over Rs 1 lakh annually, they would now be assessed under this category every year. This trader friendly decision would cost Rs. 200 crore on the state exchequer. To further boost trade and economic activity in the state, the Cabinet also gave approval to exempt the 8500 traders from making payment of 70% of the excess demand and now they would be only required to deposit 30% of the surplus demand. This decision would also cost the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 940 crore. Subsequently, they would now be required to deposit the said amount i.e. 20% of the 30% portion of the additional demand by March 31, 2022 and the remaining 80% by March 31, 2023.
OTS Policy-2021 approved
In a bid to revive and rehabilitate industries in the state by offering a unique opportunity to entrepreneurs of promoted and loanee companies, the Cabinet approved One Time Settlement (OTS) Policy-2021 for Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. (PSIDC), Punjab Financial Corporation (PFC) and Punjab Agro Industries Corporation (PAIC) for settlement of their dues with through this new policy.
Upgradation of three sub-tehsils
In order to provide citizen-centric services to the residents in the vicinity of their residence in a seamless manner, the Cabinet also approved up-gradation of Gharuan in Mohali, Rajasansi in Amritsar and Dorangla in Gurdaspur as sub-tehsils.
Aid for Lakhimpur Kheri victims’ kin
The Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval for providing financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh each to the tune of total Rs 2 crore already paid by the Punjab Government to the families/legal heirs of the four farmers and one journalist, who died in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 2, 2021 from Chief Minister Relief Fund.
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