Rs 1,000 monthly aid promise for Punjab women to be fulfilled in next budget: CM reiterates
Hoshiarpur (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday reiterated that his government will fulfil its promise of giving Rs 1,000 to every woman, with provisions to be made in the forthcoming state budget.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating an eco-tourism project at the Saleran Dam here, Mann asserted that the AAP government is generating employment by developing Punjab's tourism destinations.
"In the Punjab budget, the promise of Rs 1,000 to every woman will be fulfilled," he said here.
Mann, while speaking at the state-level Maghi Mela gathering in Sri Muktsar Sahib on January 14, had assured that the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) poll promise of providing Rs 1,000 per month to every woman in the state would be fulfilled soon.
The AAP government has drawn flak from rival parties, who have accused it of making lofty promises at the time of polls, but failing to deliver after coming to power.
Mann also expressed hope that the Union government would announce a special package for Punjab in the upcoming Union Budget, saying, "Punjab's contribution to the nation in every sector deserves recognition".
In his address at Saleran Dam, Mann said film shoots and destination weddings at places such as Amritsar, Patiala and Chimraud Lake have already led to increased employment opportunities. He said the Saleran Dam project will compete with the tourism destinations of Himachal Pradesh.
The AAP government has revived 52 rest houses that had fallen into disrepair and are now generating around Rs 1 crore in monthly rental revenue. He alleged that previous dispensations had sold government properties to their associates at throwaway prices, while the present regime had recovered those assets.
Speaking to reporters, Mann said, "Today we have inaugurated the Saleran Dam eco-tourism project to further strengthen tourism infrastructure in the state. The Chohal Dam project is already running successfully, and this new initiative will be another attraction for tourists".
The project has been conceived at a cost of Rs 2.80 crore and is expected to generate more than Rs 18 lakh in annual revenue, he said.
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"This project will attract tourists to the area, create job opportunities for local youth and significantly boost their income," he added.
Highlighting the facilities created under the project, the CM said, "A special playground spread over 16,000 square feet has been constructed for children, with a multi-play station and other recreational activities."
"Four eco huts have been constructed for tourists to stay, and a cafeteria with seating capacity for 80 people has also been built," he said. A large amphitheatre has been developed to offer scenic views of the dam, he said.
Lamenting the alleged neglect of these regions in the past, Mann said the previous governments failed to tap their tourism potential despite their natural beauty.
"Strenuous efforts are already underway to develop the entire region so that tourism in the state gets a major boost," he said.
Referring to steps taken by his government to revive the state's tourism infrastructure, Mann said, "The state government has revived 75 abandoned rest houses, which are now generating revenue of around Rs 1 crore".
On the economic and agricultural initiatives, Mann said, "The Punjab government has partnered with a Japanese company which will invest Rs 1,300 crore to boost horticulture in the state".
This would help save precious groundwater while promoting crop diversification, he said.
On law and order, the chief minister said it was ironic that those who once patronised gangsters were now questioning the situation.
He cited state government's initiatives like 'Yudh Nashean Virudh' and 'Gangsteraan te Vaar' aimed at cracking down on drug smugglers and gangsters.
Mann also said anti-drone technology has been deployed along the International Border and has shown encouraging results in curbing the inflow of drugs and weapons.
"Our aim is to stop cross-border terrorism and narco-terrorism. Punjab is the first state in the country to adopt this technology," he said.
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Rupee hits all-time low for second time in a week
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 31 paise to settle at 91.99 against the US dollar on Wednesday, touching the lowest closing level for the second time in less than a week, amid increased month-end demand for the greenback.
Forex traders said the rupee opened higher as the US dollar index softened and a long-awaited trade breakthrough with Europe offered quiet reassurance. However, increased month-end demand for the American currency as well as the ongoing geopolitical tensions dented investors' sentiments.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 91.60 and touched an early high of 91.50, but pared all the gains to touch an intra-day low of 91.99 against the greenback.
The domestic unit settled 31 paise down, revisiting its lowest-ever closing level of 91.99 against the greenback. The Indian currency previously ended at this level on January 23 when it also hit its all-time intraday low of 92 against the US dollar.
On Tuesday, the rupee rebounded from its all-time low levels and gained 22 paise to close at 91.68 against the US dollar.
Analysts said the rupee opened higher as the US dollar index softened and a long-awaited trade breakthrough with Europe bolstered investor sentiment.
India and the European Union on Tuesday announced the conclusion of negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA), under which a number of domestic sectors such as apparel, chemicals and footwear will get duty-free entry into the 27-nation bloc, while the EU will get access to the Indian market at concessional duty for cars and wines, an official said.
The deal has been dubbed the "mother of all deals" as it will create a market of about 2 billion people.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.07 per cent lower at 96.14.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.43 per cent lower at USD 67.28 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 487.20 points to settle at 82,344.68, while Nifty surged 167.35 points to 25,342.75.
Foreign Institutional Investors turned net buyers and purchased equities worth Rs 480.26 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
