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Punjab Assembly adopts Appropriation Bill

The Punjab Vidhan Sabha or Legislative Assembly today adopted by a voice vote the Appropriation Bill for the fiscal 2000-2001 after finance minister Kanwaljit Singh replied to a day-long discussion on budgetary demands.

With this, the government has been authorised to appropriate Rs 231.10 billion out of state's consolidated funds to defray charges of various departments in the new financial year ending March 31, 2001.

Kanwaljit Singh in his reply informed the house that the state government, with World Bank assistance of Rs 360 million, had initiated various development schemes, including provision of drinking water and repair of roads in rural area.

He said that for the Shahpur Kandi area alone Rs 100 million had been earmarked for various developmental schemes. The 'Kanya Jagriti Scheme' would continue along with 'Shagun scheme' for the scheduled caste girls.

The finance minister said that old age pension would be deposited in the accounts of beneficiaries by the first of every month. The government would arrange housing loans from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation or HUDCO for its employees and bear the difference of interest.

He announced that the Guru Gobind Singh chair in Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar had been established on permanent basis. The government had already allocated necessary funds for this, he added.

UNI

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