Due to a worsening financial condition, the AAP-led Punjab government has repealed the previous Congress dispensation’s decision to provide power subsidy of Rs3 per unit for domestic consumers having a connected load of up to 7 Kilowatt. This will yield `1,500-1,800 crore per annum to the state exchequer. It also increased VAT on petrol and diesel prices by 61 paise and 92 paise per litre. In another decision, it raised the bus fare by 23 paise per km. It has also raised tax on two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The biggest sop of the government of up to 300 units of free electrify per month stays.
Former cops Punjab trouble-shooters
Former Additional DGP Jaskaran Singh and ex-DIG Narinder Bhargav continue to be the government’s troubleshooters, especially in matters pertaining to farmers’ protest. Both officers were promoted to IPS. While Singh retired on April 30, Bhargav on June 30. When BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), one of the biggest farmers’ union of the state, held protest in Chandigarh, they were roped in to dufuse tension and were present during the meeting between CM Bhagwant Mann the unions. The protest was called off a day after the meeting in Chandigarh.
Media-friendly PCMSA chief plays key message
The 2,500 Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) doctors, who had suspended OPD services since September 9, on Saturday said that they would resume work from Monday and compensate for the inconvenience caused to patients by working two hours extra. Known to be media savvy, PCMSA president Dr Akhil Sarin is always ready to take from the media. Belonging to a family of political and military background, he knows the importance of the media. He has been the president of the association for two and half years and has led several pro-people initiative by the doctors.