Haryana cancels 298 PDS licences

The Haryana food and supplies department has cancelled licenses of 298 dealers for committing irregularities in the public distribution system during the last financial year.

Remarking that an intensive campaign to improve the functioning of the fair price shops had been launched in the state, an official said the department had forfeited security of 1,396 erring dealers amounting to over Rs 8.21 lakh. Goods valuing Rs 48,471 were also seized during the campaign.

Sixteen cases had been registered with the police against the dealers for indulging in malpractices in the distribution of essential commodities, and 14 people were arrested, he said.

He said a network of 7,274 fair price shops, 2,346 in urban areas and 4,928 in rural areas, were supplying essential commodities at reasonable rates.

Of these, 188 shops were located near industrial areas for the benefit of the industrial workers, and 40 near school hostels for ensuring supply of essential commodities to the students.

Pre-Budget memorandum: The Punjab committee of the PHDCCI in a memorandum submitted toPunjab Finance Minister Lal Singh has asked the government to restore the financial health of the state essentially because the fiscal deficit has increased from Rs 1,465 crore in 1996-97 to Rs 5,319 crore in the last fiscal.

The chamber urged the state government to accelerate the pace of economic growth in tune with the Tenth Plan target of 8 per cent.

The government must contain the non-Plan expenditure and go for disinvestment in loss-making public sector undertakings. The chamber also sought implementation of pension reforms on the lines of central government to minimise its impact on state finances.

"The confidence of the industry in policies needs to be restored, particularly because industry and agriculture are expected to be the engines of growth," it said.

"The Punjab government may offer exemption of stamp duty to new industries/expansion cases and reduce registration charge of Re 1 per 100 value of land, allocate at least Rs 25 crore for subsidy disbursal in the border areas and make substantial provisions in the budget of the industry department for maintenance of industrial focal points," it said.

A knitwear park could be developed in Ludhiana under the Centre's culture development scheme. The chamber suggested the introduction of VAT to raise the tax revenue.

The memorandum also recommends introducing minimum support price for the crops other than wheat and paddy. This would encourge the farmers to diversify in the areas of horticulture and floriculture.

Contract farming with enabling legislation and superior extension services connecting with agricultural universities are expected to be initiated to invite private players in a big way.