Bhagwant Mann presents Punjab govt's report card, says excise revenue collection up by 41%

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann presented a report card of the Aam Aadmi Party government, voted to power in March last year.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday echoed the Aam Aadmi Party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s "honest government" rhetoric, lauding his government’s efforts that transformed “the state's financial situation from a deficit to a profit through increased revenue generation".

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann during a press conference in Chandigarh on Friday.

Interacting with the media at Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh, Mann boasted the increase in the state’s excise revenue collection up by ₹2,587 crore – a 41.41% increase compared to last year. He also said the target for the next financial year is ₹9,754 crore while criticising the previous governments for allowing “liquor mafia” in the state.

“Though the previous governments had always thought of their own vested interests, his government has pulled all plugs to enhance the revenue in the state…the honest government in the state has changed the direction of fund flow from private houses of leaders to government exchequer,” the Punjab CM said.

Giving a report card of revenue generation in every sector, Mann added that Punjab’s transport department revenue was also up by ₹661 crore while its Goods & Services Tax (GST) collection saw an increment of 16.6% – making Punjab among top performing states in GST collection.

Mann also praised its government’s move to present a zero tax budget in the state – a first he said, adding that it was “a pro-people initiative which will go a long way in ensuring the welfare of people.” The AAP government which was voted to power in Punjab in March last year, presented its first complete state budget earlier this month.

The CM also spoke about the government’s new experiment on giving an exemption of 2.25 % on stamp duty for land registration. He affirmed that the move had enhanced March’s land revenue from ₹339 crore in February to ₹658.68 crore, adding that this exemption has now been extended till April.

He also noted that his government has taken “unprecedented” initiatives to strengthen the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited public sector undertaking. “...for the first time in the history of the state the government has released all the pending subsidies (of last financial year) worth ₹20,200 crore,” he said, adding that his government will ensure uninterrupted power supply to the people.

Mann said that the government has also paid the first installment of ₹1,804 crore of the ₹9,020 crore debt inherited from the previous governments.

He also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government for ‘harassing’ Punjab by “stalling funds worth ₹30000 crore under the Rural Development Fund.” “The state government has completed all the formalities but then also the centre government has deliberately stalled the legitimate funds of the state which is sheer injustice with the state,” the comedian-turned-politician alleged.

On tackling unemployment, Mann said that about 28,000 jobs were provided to youth across the state adding that the “sole criteria for selection in this entire recruitment process is merit and the entire procedure is being followed in a transparent manner”.

With 504 Aam Aadmi clinics across Punjab, Mann assured an addition of 134 more such clinics to the fleet. “...so far 21.21 lakh patients have benefited from these Aam Aadmi clinics adding that lakhs of patients have undergone free tests in merely a few months,” he remarked.

To a query on crop damage because of rains, Mann said Punjab has announced “25% upward revision in the compensation”. "...in case the loss is more than less than 75% then the compensation will be ₹6,800 per acre as compared to ₹5,400 earlier adding that if the loss was more than 75% then the state government will compensate the farmers with ₹15,000 per acre as compared to ₹12000 earlier,” he explained.

With currently 50 operational sand mines in Punjab, the AAP government plans to open 150 new mines across the state, the CM said.