Punjab releases Rs 1,353 crore for power subsidy, retirement benefits

CHANDIGARH: On the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the Finance Department has released Rs. 1353.03 crores on account of power subsidy to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), local government and Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, besides payment of retiral benefits to employees, who had superannuated till September 30, 2019.

Disclosing this here, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that funds to the tune of Rs. 400 crore had been released to the PSPCL for agriculture power subsidy to farmers, with another Rs.181.63 crore released for making payments for retiral benefits including GPF/Leave Encashment to employees who had retired up to September 30, 2019. A sum of Rs.153.90 crore has been given to Local Government department for Punjab Municipal Fund.

Further, a sum of Rs.121.82 crore on aacount of medical, Petroleum Oil and Lubricant (POL), water/electricity, material supplies and office expenses has also been released till December 18, 2019. Another Rs.100 crore has been given to Punjab State Warehousing Corporation and Rs.33.32 crore to Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Fund for execution of various development works in urban areas.


Under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes, the Finance Department has released Rs.52.74 crore for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), National Health Mission (Rs.86.04 crore), Mid-Day Meal (Rs.34.46 crore), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana PMAY-Urban (Rs.30.72 crore), National Social Assistance Programme (Rs.25.89 crore), Samagraha Shiksha Abhiyan Secondary (Rs.25 crore), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (Rs.3.42 crore), Non-Plan Schemes (Rs.7.69 crore), Border Area Development Programme (Rs.17.23 crore), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana DDUGKY (Rs.15 crore), Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary (Rs.2.61 crore), Integrated Child Development Services (Rs.6.52 crore), National Education Mission NEM (Rs.3.53 crore), National Livelihood Mission (Rs.8.84 crore), National Rural Drinking Water Mission (Rs.2.11 crore), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rs.8 crore) and others including modernization of Police Forces, White Revolution (Rs.4.51 crore).