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Mohali, Dec 5 () Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday said his government is committed to providing a safe and stable environment to industry, and eliminating gangsters was on the top of his agenda.
 Amarinder was speaking at an interactive session during the first day of Progressive Punjab Investors Summit (PPIS) 2019.
 Citing the steps taken by his government to facilitate industrial development, Amarinder said the focus is on providing the right environment to investors and industry to promote Punjab as a preferred destination. 
 He talked about several decisions taken by his government to improve ease of doing business in the state, including single-window clearances, online applications and approvals, subsidy on industrial power, amendments to key legislations related to business and industry, as well as water regulation.
 He said Punjab does not have labour problems and the state's educated and committed workforce was a major asset for the industry.
 When asked about gangsterism in the state, Amarinder said eliminating it is a priority for his government. 
 "Either they (gangsters) lay down arms, or they will have to face the consequences," he warned. 
 Notably, the opposition party SAD has been targeting the government, alleging that the law and order situation in the state has "collapsed" and gangsters are "ruling the roost."
 Amarinder said he abolished truck unions to provide a safe environment for industry to operate.
 Steps are also being taken to ensure women safety so that they can take up industrial jobs and do night shifts, he said, adding that any woman could call the police for safe transportation back home not only at night but at any time of the day if she felt threatened or unsafe in any way. 
 The chief minister also underlined the need to shift people from agriculture to industry in view of the surplus production that is making agriculture non-viable. 
 On its part, the Punjab government is promoting skill development to boost employability, he added.
 He also stressed on the need to provide continuity to industry to encourage them to invest and expand in Punjab. 
 It is essential not to indulge in political vendetta with the opposition and ensure that any party coming to power maintains the same policy approach to industry, he added. 
 "Stability is a key component for providing an enabling environment for industrial growth," he said, hoping that the next government that takes over the state will also adopt this philosophy.
 To a question on drugs, he said his government has set up a special task force to contain the menace.
 While the drug problem will not disappear in view of the money involved in the business, it would be well under control and manageable by the time the next Assembly elections are due in the state, Amarinder said.
 On the issue of stubble burning, he reiterated his stand that the Centre would have to pitch in to find a permanent solution to the problem. 
 He stressed on the need for the central government to add compensation of Rs 100 per quintal to minimum support price to check stubble burning, and also underscored the importance of crop diversification in the long term to eliminate the problem. 
 He said he would again raise the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their next meeting. 
 Farmers would definitely shift from wheat and paddy to other crops, just like they had moved to paddy cultivation in the 1960s, if it is made worth while for them, he said.
 Punjab, like other states, is already reeling under financial problems due to non-payment of GST share in time by the Centre, the chief minister said, pointing out that Punjab had not received its GST share since August 2019, translating into dues of Rs 6,000 crore.
 Given that the states have handed over all other revenue generation sources to the central government under the GST regime, it has left them in a critical situation, he added.
 The interactive session was steered by NDTV Co-Chairman Prannoy Roy. CHS SUN RVK

Punjab govt committed to provide safe, stable environment to industry: Amarinder

<keyword id="90232" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="North-India">North India</keyword> faces an annual trauma as winter approaches -- the air in the region having more than 200 million people becomes toxic. 
 
Fingers are pointed at the hand that feeds India; farmers in the granary of the country are rebuked asking them not to burn agriculture waste in their fields as their action fouls the air in mega cities like New Delhi, Lucknow, and Allahabad. 
 There is no doubt that after the monsoon ends the vast paddy fields in India's granary <keyword id="41646" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Haryana">Haryana</keyword> and <keyword id="6354953" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Punjab">Punjab</keyword> turn into cremation grounds where the left-over paddy straw is burnt in vast swathes. 
 The fires are so much and so widespread that satellites flying hundreds of kilometers above the <keyword id="6359982" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="earth">Earth</keyword> record their presence. 
 This is also the time when generally the westerly winds prevail and a giant plume of smoke covers north India. <keyword id="6358065" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Satellite">Satellite</keyword> pictures depict the smoke plume with clarity and alarm bells starting ringing in the corridors of power in India's capital, as per a news report by an agency. 
 
Last winter, even the Chief Justice of India passed strict orders and even contributed his ritual bit by car-pooling, despite his efforts the air remains toxic. Delhi's air is a complex cocktail of noxious exhausts from automobiles, industry, thermal power plants and 'charvested' or burnt fields. Nobody really knows who is the bigger culprit. 
 
But it is easy to point fingers at the farmers little realizing that behind the farmers burning agricultural waste is the deep-deep crisis that is brewing in agriculture and it is hugely interlinked to all the elementary ingredients for a healthy life, air, water and land. 
 
The second big problem arises once the crop has been harvested which happens during the post-monsoon season, at that point, the rice grains are sold at government-determined minimum support prices and the farmers are left with large amounts of straw. Unfortunately straw from paddy contains a lot of silica and is very rough and hence bovines find it very difficult to eat it. Now when the farmers are in a hurry to plant the next crop, they are left with no alternative but to hurriedly burn the agri-waste. 
 According to a recent <keyword id="3775495" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="state-of-environment-of-punjab">State of Environment of Punjab</keyword> published by the local government "open field burning of straw after combine harvesting is a common practice in the state in order to ensure early preparation of fields for the next crop. Punjab produces around 23 million tons of rice straw and 17 million tons of wheat straw annually. 
 
So when most farmers are custodians of innate native wisdom why are they indulging in such profligate and damaging practices, unfortunately it is really the government's agri-economic policies that are to blame. 
 
Subsidised or free electricity to farmers makes them use their pump sets endlessly and then on top of it an assured minimum support price gives them a ready market, leaving no incentive to be considerate towards the top soil, deep acquirers and mother earth in general and now this new headache of being dubbed the fountain head of wide spread air pollution. 
 
A comprehensive restructuring of the agricultural economy is required if denizens of Delhi and north India don't want to choke to death.

Here’s how Delhi’s pollution
rise during the winter can be curbed

<ul><li>Over 125 dead and 160 injured.</li><li><keyword id="50681" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="dust-storm">Dust storm</keyword> engulfs the northern states of UP, <keyword id="6354953" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="punjab">Punjab</keyword> Rajasthan, Haryana and <keyword id="66" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi">Delhi</keyword>. </li><li>Most deaths due to lightning strikes and collapsing houses.</li></ul>Severe dust storm wreaked havoc in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent on Wednesday (2 May), causing massive destruction. <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43999497">According to reports</a>, the current death toll stands at 125, while more than 160 have been injured. Most of the deaths were due to lightning strikes and houses collapsing in the states of Rajasthan, <keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> (UP), Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Officials said that they had been taken aback by the ferocity of the storms and the Indian Meteorological department expects more storms to hit before the weekend. The latest reports can be viewed <a href="http://www.imd.gov.in/pages/allindiawxwarningbulletin.php">here</a>. Impact on Humans <ul><li>High speed winds and lightning wreaked havoc in many villages. The destruction brought down walls, claimed many lives and left numerous injured.</li><li>A <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43999497">spokesperson</a> for the Uttar Pradesh relief commissioner's office told AFP that the death toll was the highest from such storms in the last twenty years.</li><li>The storm hit at night in many areas where houses built with mud collapsed and residents who were asleep at the time were trapped and killed.</li></ul>
 
 
 
 
 
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<ul><li>Damage was caused in some areas by flying debris as speeds in some areas reached 100 miles per hour.</li></ul>
 
 
 
 
 
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 <ul><li>According to <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43987209">a report</a>, 200 to 300 electric poles fell due to the raging winds of the storm.</li><li>Agra was the worst hit place in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. 43 died and 51 were injured.</li><li>Alwar, Rajasthan city reported 36 deaths whereas 19 were killed in <a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/india/live-updates-at-least-people-killed-in-deadly-dust-storm-up-rajasthan-badly-affected-5161649/?#liveblogstart">Bharatpur district of Rajasthan</a>.</li></ul>Impact on environment and animals <ul><li>The dust storm enveloped Delhi on Wednesday evening. This further degraded the air quality of the India’s capital city with PM2.5 measured at 152 and PM10 at 106, which is four times the safe limit. This is the <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/dust-storm-envelops-new-delhi-after-a-scorching-hot-day-1840623">second dust storm</a> to hit Delhi in just a few weeks, <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/dust-storm-envelops-new-delhi-in-a-sudden-change-of-weather-1846186">a report said</a>.</li><li>A huge number of birds were found dead in Fatehabad after dust storms hit the area, ANI UP tweeted.</li></ul>
 
 
 
 
 
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Sudden dust storms in northern India have killed over 120 people

Mohali, Dec 6 () Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said his government was committed to providing full support to the industry and wanted the state to be a "formidable" industrial base.
 Addressing business leaders at the valedictory session of the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit 2019 on the concluding day, the chief minister pitched Punjab as a state that offered them a future, with the assurance of "peace and security" to protect their investments at all costs.
 He said his government was prepared to change its decades-old policies to transform the state from an agricultural to an industrial economy.
 Underlining the need for a much-needed change to prevent people from going out in search of greener pastures, Amarinder declared, "We cannot continue with policies that are 50 years old. We have to change if we want to remain in the game."
 It was imperative to take Punjab in the direction of a progressive future for the sake of the next generation, he asserted, expressing concern over the brain-drain from the state.
 "Agriculture is no longer remunerative... we are an agriculture state and 70 per cent of agriculturists have less than five acres of land. Therefore industrialisation is the only answer and whether it is primary, tertiary sector, we want industry. I want Punjab to be a very formidable industrial base," he said.
 "I'll give you what to want... tell me what's needed, I'll do everything that is needed (for facilitating the industry).
 "With new challenges emerging, we must change and keep pace with it. Let me tell you whatever we have done in our industrial policy or otherwise that is not sacrosanct. Any of you require changes which help the state to grow, we are quite prepared for it," he said.
 "I hope you go from here convinced that we are committed to your welfare. We will give you security, we will ensure peace for you," he said, pointing out that Punjab offered a conducive environment for industrial development with a productive workforce. "There are no labour problems in Punjab, no strikes," he added.
 His government was committed to the promotion of industry and investment and has already taken several measures on this count, the chief minister said.
 Pointing to the importance of availability of industrial land, Amarinder noted that his government had recently approved amendments to the Punjab Village Common Land (Regulation) Rules 1964, which will enable development of industrial infrastructure projects by easing land acquisition process for investors.
 Further, he pointed out that electricity demand from the industry sector had increased by 26 per cent, which was also a direct indication of enhanced industrial activity in the state.
 Meanwhile, security was tightened on Friday at the summit's venue in the wake of a security breach that took place on Thursday when a youth suddenly appeared before the stage when an interactive session with Amarinder Singh was going on.
 The youth, carrying some papers, had raised an issue relating to his shop at Derabassi, sending security personnel into a tizzy. CHS ABM
ABM

Want Punjab to be a 'formidable' industrial base: CM

<ul><li>The Indian environment ministry issued a letter to states and union territories informing them that there is no imminent ban on single-use plastics. </li><li>It also clarified that the ban would not affect multi-layered packaging, normally used for food and beverages. </li><li>The document shared by ministry outlines action points to achieve the goal of eliminating single-use plastic by 2022. </li></ul>Companies in India were anxious about the government implementing a nation-wide ban on plastic but it seems there are no plans to announce any such restrictions — for now. The environment ministry issued a document to states and union territories (UTs) clarifying that there is no ban on single-use plastics but that the country is still planning on eliminating their use by 2022, according to <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/plastic-curbs-to-spare-multi-layered-packaging/cid/1709407">The Telegraph</a>, "There is now a need to take it (the awareness) to a new level and ensure that by 2022, we eliminate single-use plastic from our society," stated Environment Secretary Chandra Kishore Mishra in the letter. The ministry outlines that states need to implement legislative interventions and behavioural changes to wean people away from consuming <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/In-some-countries-people-face-jail-time-for-using-plastic-bags-Here-are-all-the-places-that-have-banned-plastic-bags-and-straws-so-far-/articleshow/68712914.cms">single-use plastics</a>. Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s call to action during India’s 73rd <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/topic/Independence-day">Independence Day</a> had businesses in India worried about the potential economic impact. If such a ban were to be implemented, it would affect <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/here-are-all-the-things-you-wont-be-able-to-use-after-india-bans-single-use-plastics/articleshow/71375802.cms">everyday items</a> like plastic cups and plastic plates at food stalls, packaging on biscuits and sodas, and small bottles. Food and beverages are safe The environment ministry also clarified that any planned guidelines to curb the consumption of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=single+use+plastic&amp;sortorder=score&amp;curpg=1">single-use plastic</a>s will not apply to multi-layered plastic packaging, which is commonly used to package products like food and beverages. During the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-pm-endorses-iit-camera-to-catch-inattentive-mps-in-parliament/articleshow/71376832.cms">Singapore-India Hackathon</a> at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) on 30 September 2019, Modi clarified that he was exclusively campaigning against single-use plastic and not a plastic-free india. "Some people, by mistake, are talking about plastic-free India. I have not said this. I have said that single-use plastic, which comes to use only once, causes a lot of problems," explained Modi. The environment ministry pointed out that only <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/which-states-in-india-have-banned-plastic/articleshow/70218756.cms">five states</a> — Maharashtra, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh — currently have legislation in place to regulate plastic waste. It has asked other states to plan on introduce restrictions on plastic use to curate a list of products that they plan to on restricting. It also clarified that there may not be a requirement to ban plastic bottles, like the ones used for packaging water and sodas, and that the focus should be on making sure the bottles are recyclable and can be reprocessed. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/article/amazon-flipkart-and-bigbasket-are-racing-to-eliminate-single-use-plastic-from-their-supply-chain/articleshow/71402437.cms">Big Basket ahead of e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart in eliminating single use plastics</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/here-are-all-the-things-you-wont-be-able-to-use-after-india-bans-single-use-plastics/articleshow/71375802.cms">Here are all the things you won't be able to use after India bans single-use plastics</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/mount-everest-will-turn-into-a-plastic-free-zone-by-2020-as-nepal-bans-it/articleshow/70780916.cms">Mount Everest will turn into a plastic-free zone by 2020 as Nepal bans it</a>

India won’t be banning plastic — for now

When <keyword id="6379603" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Arundhati-Bhattacharya">Arundhati Bhattacharya</keyword> was the deputy general manager at <keyword id="6354731" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="State-Bank-Of-India">State Bank of India</keyword> (SBI) in 2001, she used to wonder why the bank is spending so much to maintain foreign operations' back office overseas. She couldn't do much at that time. Now as the chairman, she worked methodically and systematically to fix problems and used technology and recovery model to transform the bank. 
 

	According to her, red tape and a rigid bureaucratic structure made even the simplest of tasks difficult. Today, she is the bank's chairman and has not forgotten her 14-year-old idea. "I did not find traction then, so I am bringing it now," Bhattacharya told the Economic Times. 
	 

	Locating bank back offices in low-cost locations like India would seem a no-brainer. The fact that SBI is doing it now may seem ordinary but it is important in the context of the bank's history, its decision making process and its structure. 
	 

	India's biggest, oldest and most venerable bank faces multiple challenges at a time when the weight of bad loans alone, not to mention competition and costs, threatens to derail its plans. 
	 

	Bhattacharya would know more than anyone else that SBI may well get bypassed by the technology revolution if it does not take serious steps. She is not sitting idle, but she is not tearing up the system and creating a revolution either. She is working to identify problems and fix them. Technology and recovery will be the pillars on which SBI rests. When she decided to transform the bank from a staid state-run lender into a customer-friendly one, she went hunting for a technology hand familiar with the ways of the West, and hired former <keyword id="6386585" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Barclays">Barclays</keyword> executive SK Bhasin as chief technology officer. 
	 

	"I have been looking across the globe for people who have done these things well to try and replicate some of their experience," says Bhattacharya. We have done all of these through IT (information technology). Without IT none of these things could be done well." State-run bankers, intensely focused on lending and raising deposits, rarely factored in technology in their lives. Bhattacharya's efforts in targeting future businesses is reflected in its recent business arrangements with <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword>, Snapdeal and many more digital-age companies, pushing the Essars and Chettiyars to the back seat. 
	 

	New businesses are future profits. But what about the bad loans of the past, which together with restructured loans are at 10% of total loans, making the industry technically insolvent. SBI is no exception to bad loans. Its gross bad loans and restructured loans are at Rs 83,434 crore, or 8.4% of total loans, equivalent to the government's spend on social issues like healthcare and education this year. 
	 

	"There is no point in getting impatient," says Bhattacharya. "It has to be done diligently. When the finance minister wanted to know the one thing that was my priority, I said we wanted a bankruptcy law." The Indian judiciary is notorious for prolonging decisions on disputes, and the promoters of companies, especially wealthy ones such as United Spirits' <keyword id="14678" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Vijay-Mallya">Vijay Mallya</keyword> whose <keyword id="6373962" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Kingfisher-Airlines">Kingfisher Airlines</keyword> owes more than Rs 7,000 crore, have exploited the loopholes. But because the <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> government unlike previous ones does not provide defaulters with protective shields, bankers such as Bhattacharya are emboldened to take action. "We have a lot of angst against these promoters, who we believe are taking the system for a ride," says Bhattacharya. "If the promoter has taken money he has to give it back. There are no two ways about it. If they don't, their lives are going to be miserable. I have deep pockets to do it. There is no point in messing around." All this is not lost on foreign investors. SBI is the only top PSU lender where foreign funds are raising stake even as they have cut them in <keyword id="62034" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Punjab-National-Bank">Punjab National Bank</keyword> and Bank of India. "I would say SBI is a private sector bank because the new CEO is phenomenal," says <keyword id="105152" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Avinash-Gupta">Avinash Gupta</keyword>, managing director and head of institutional equities at <keyword id="122772" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bank-of-America-Merrill-Lynch">Bank of America Merrill Lynch</keyword>. Gupta deals with a lot of foreign investors, many of whom are impressed by Bhattacharya's firmly-in-control attitude and her desire to change things. When Bhattacharya took charge in 2013, profits were sliding, bad loans were climbing, the economic climate had deteriorated and the private sector was poaching its clients . There was no point in waiting for the tide to turn. "I couldn't expect the external environment to suddenly turn around and give me good results," says Bhattacharya. What did she do? "Like any good housewife who will husband her resources when the chips are down to ensure every rupee helps make her go further," SBI turned prudent, she said. "When I talk about cutting expenses, I mean unwanted expenses. Not what is required to build business," she says. "All expenditure has to be controlled to yield the best results. A lot of us were travelling <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> (class) for quite a while." 
	 

	Lawyers and landlords are at the receiving end of Bhattacharya's measures to contain waste. The days of branches negotiating rent for branch offices are over. It is no longer done at the 11th hour, which often gives property owners the upper hand. Alerts come up 18 months before the lease expires, and the head office monitors and ensures it is done a year in advance. 
	 

	It is no secret that the judiciary and the system are as responsible for banks' ills as the banks themselves. While disputes run for months, bankers remain observers. But this is not the case with SBI anymore. Its advocates have been made accountable. "There are some advocates who keep taking adjournments, and there are others who move fast," says Bhattacharya. 
	 

	"I know every advocate's performance." While a lot of these issues are administrative in nature, what is the scene when it comes to its core business — lending? "She has a very clear-headed approach," said <keyword id="85088" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Romesh-Sobti">Romesh Sobti</keyword>, MD &amp; CEO of <keyword id="46717" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IndusInd-Bank">IndusInd Bank</keyword>. "It's a well-defined approach to many issues the banking industry is facing. She is forthright in her ability to articulate issues not only facing SBI but also the banking industry," said Sobti. There is a paradigm shift. Tractor loans, treated as crop loans, are now automobile loans. Instead of waiting for the harvest to repay, the borrower has to pay on a monthly basis, like with equated monthly instalments in a car loan. 
	 

	"When a farmer gets money from a crop, it first goes to others — the teacher, grocer... banks are last on the list," says Bhattacharya. "Make them EMI-based. Can I give them loans which will yield a regular stream of income? We were lacking the customer connect." 
	 

	Many current and former SBI customers would agree. The question now is not just how quickly she can change perceptions about the bank but also how soon she can make the bank's cash machine churn out profits. With non-performing loans assuming alarming proportions, it will take all of Bhattacharya's combativeness to stem the rot.

	 
	(Image: Reuters)

Know how SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya changed India's largest bank for the better

Mohali, Dec 6 () Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said the government will set up a dedicated MSME marketing cell and establish a Rs 100-crore start-up fund. 
 The MSME marketing cell will work for forming trade linkages for Punjab's micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), a government release said here.
 The release listed out various decisions taken by the chief minister after two days of deliberations during the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit (PPIS) 2019, that concluded on Friday. 
 The start-up fund will be set up by the state government in partnership with IKG Punjab Technical University for promotion of incubators, providing seed or scale-up funding to start-ups, it said.
 Of this, 25 per cent fund shall be used to promote scheduled caste and women entrepreneurs, it said, adding that venture capitalists or angel networks like Indian Angel Network and Bharat Fund may contribute to this corpus fund.
 Responding to industry's concerns about interference by regulatory bodies for environment and pollution clearance, Amarinder decided to give 'Auto Consent to the Green Category Industry on Intimation'. 
 With this, the state government will do away with inspection by any regulatory body and consent shall be given to the industry on the day of intimation, the release said.
 Further, the chief minister also decided to bring certain amendments to GST reimbursement policy to encourage non-paddy based agri-processing sector to wean farmers away from paddy, thereby saving water and preventing air pollution from stubble burning.
 Based on his discussions with a delegation from UAE , which was led by the country's Ambassador to India, the chief minister directed Invest Punjab to immediately establish a dedicated UAE desk at their office, the release said. 
 He also ordered a monthly round table to be conducted at the level of chief secretary with the partner countries which participated in the investor summit.
 Taking note of the key takeaways from each engagement, interaction as well as session during the summit, the chief minister directed to constitute a working group, chaired by the chief secretary, within seven days to ensure expeditious delivery on all points. 
 The working group will submit a report on the feasibility of implementing suggested policy measures within a month, it said.
 In response to some other concerns and demands raised by the industry to boost ease of doing business, the chief minister decided to give permission for sale of independent floors in apartment buildings, and for a minimum floor area ratio of 3 throughout the state. 
 He also agreed to bring in a land leasing law, as urged by industry, at the earliest, the release said. CHS RVK
RVK
RVK

Punjab govt to set up MSME marketing cell, 100-cr start-up fund

Mohali, Dec 6 () Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said the government will set up a dedicated MSME marketing cell and establish a Rs 100-crore start-up fund. 
 The MSME marketing cell will work for forming trade linkages for Punjab's micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), a government release said here.
 The release listed out various decisions taken by the chief minister after two days of deliberations during the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit (PPIS) 2019, that concluded on Friday. 
 The start-up fund will be set up by the state government in partnership with IKG Punjab Technical University for promotion of incubators, providing seed or scale-up funding to start-ups, it said.
 Of this, 25 per cent fund shall be used to promote scheduled caste and women entrepreneurs, it said, adding that venture capitalists or angel networks like Indian Angel Network and Bharat Fund may contribute to this corpus fund.
 Responding to industry's concerns about interference by regulatory bodies for environment and pollution clearance, Amarinder decided to give 'Auto Consent to the Green Category Industry on Intimation'. 
 With this, the state government will do away with inspection by any regulatory body and consent shall be given to the industry on the day of intimation, the release said.
 Further, the chief minister also decided to bring certain amendments to GST reimbursement policy to encourage non-paddy based agri-processing sector to wean farmers away from paddy, thereby saving water and preventing air pollution from stubble burning.
 Based on his discussions with a delegation from UAE , which was led by the country's Ambassador to India, the chief minister directed Invest Punjab to immediately establish a dedicated UAE desk at their office, the release said. 
 He also ordered a monthly round table to be conducted at the level of chief secretary with the partner countries which participated in the investor summit.
 Taking note of the key takeaways from each engagement, interaction as well as session during the summit, the chief minister directed to constitute a working group, chaired by the chief secretary, within seven days to ensure expeditious delivery on all points. 
 The working group will submit a report on the feasibility of implementing suggested policy measures within a month, it said.
 In response to some other concerns and demands raised by the industry to boost ease of doing business, the chief minister decided to give permission for sale of independent floors in apartment buildings, and for a minimum floor area ratio of 3 throughout the state. 
 He also agreed to bring in a land leasing law, as urged by industry, at the earliest, the release said. CHS RVK

Punjab to set up MSME marketing cell, 100-cr start-up fund: Amarinder

<ul><li><keyword id="6964390" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-quality-levels-in-delhi">Air quality levels in Delhi</keyword>, the most polluted mega-city in the world, had already dropped to ‘poor’ on Monday and is expected to worsen.</li><li>Farmers continue to burn stubble with some in Punjab recently protesting against the lack of compensation for using alternatives to crop burning. </li><li>There seems to be a lack in coordinated action among governments.</li></ul>Despite ample warnings, it appears that Indian authorities have again been unable to wield enough pressure or incentivise farmers sufficiently in Northern India to halt the practice of burning stubble. <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/stubble-burning-doubles-delhi-pollution-harvard-study/articleshow/63593281.cms">Studies</a> have shown that this stubble burning contributes to at least half of the pollution and toxic haze problem in India’s capital region. The air quality in Delhi and surrounding cities reach toxic levels every year in October and November as the temperature drops and the pollutants stay suspended as the wind slows down. While the number of stubble burning sites seem lower than last year according to satellite data, that number might go up in the coming week. Air quality levels in Delhi had already dropped to ‘poor’ as of Monday, according to the Air Quality Index. A combination of stubble burning in the Northern states, vehicle exhaust and construction dust contribute to toxic levels of pollution in Delhi, which is the most <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-world-s-most-polluted-city-mumbai-worse-than-beijing-who/story-m4JFTO63r7x4Ti8ZbHF7mM.html">polluted city</a> in the world, according to the World Health Organisation. Despite penalties and a ban in place by the National Green Tribunal on stubble burning, farmers in have continued to burn stubble. Some farmers in Punjab have also recently been protesting against the lack of compensation for using alternatives by<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/defiant-farmers-burn-stubble-post-videos-online-5403716/"> posting videos </a>of stubble burning online. Insufficient compensation In recent years, India’s central and state governments have attempted to introduce financial incentives and subsidies on the farm equipment needed to help farmers switch to cleaner methods of getting rid of harvest stubble instead of burning crop residue to clear farmlands for the next sowing season. However, farmers contend that despite the subsidies these machines are still very expensive and the cost of these machines has shot up further ever since the government announced these subsidies. Instead, the farmers have demanded <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/TnZW7bjXA3wHbeqqDYd3pM/Delhis-air-quality-set-to-worsen-as-stubble-burning-intensi.html">direct compensation</a> of ₹200 ($2.71) per quintal of paddy harvested. One farmer in Punjab <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/TnZW7bjXA3wHbeqqDYd3pM/Delhis-air-quality-set-to-worsen-as-stubble-burning-intensi.html">told</a> the Mint - “The number of machines that have been purchased on subsidy will not even cover 10% of Punjab’s paddy area... besides it costs farmers over ₹5,000 per acre for straw management by rented machines.” Additionally, Punjab also imposes a fine of ₹2,500 per acre, which dwarfs in comparison to the cost of alternatives, farmers say. “I will set fire to my farm to clear it. If need be, I will pay the fine because there is no other option,” a farmer in Punjab <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/delhi-still-grasping-for-breath-as-stubble-burning-continues-in-punjab-haryana-1546059.html">told </a>News18. Removing crop residue is also seen as a labour-intensive process in both Punjab and Haryana, both states have shifted to high mechanisation in recent years. With farm labour being either unavailable or too expensive, burning the stubble is seen as a cheaper option. To be sure, efforts are also underway by various non-governmental and local organisations to create a market for the stubble for use in biofuels, for instance, but they will take time to catch on. The governments also appear to be lacking in coordinated action to address the problem. Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has reportedly said that his government took up the issue with the other state governments but no “concrete action” had been taken by them. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sympathies-with-farmers-but-dont-burn-crop-residue-amarinder-singh-1932592">urged </a>the central government to grant ₹100 per quintal as compensation to Punjab farmers, failing which he said it would be tough for the state to control stubble burning. Delhi also plans to implement emergency measures in the coming weeks if the air quality worsens including a prohibition on burning of waste, curb on construction activity and the use of diesel generator sets in the city.

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