In a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab cabinet endorsed the excise policy for the fiscal year 2024-25, with a target of generating revenue exceeding Rs 10,000 crore from liquor sales. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced the approval of the new excise policy, highlighting it as the third such policy under the AAP government.
Cheema noted that this policy aims to surpass the revenue generated during the previous Congress regime, which amounted to Rs 6,151 crore from liquor sales. The new excise policy introduces changes such as allotment of liquor vends through a draw of lots, with 232 groups formed compared to the previous 172.
Additionally, the cabinet approved a measure allowing colonisers to pay pending external development charges (EDC) in three installments over a year and a half, along with extending the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme for tax arrears until June 30. This extension aims to provide relief to traders, as the scheme has received significant response, collecting Rs 47.5 crore through 41,814 applications.
Furthermore, the cabinet sanctioned the creation of 1,390 additional posts for medical officers to address the shortage in the healthcare sector. These positions will be filled through Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in Faridkot, bypassing the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). Additionally, the cabinet approved the creation of 20 new posts, including medical officers and staff nurses, for the recently upgraded urban community health center in Gurdaspur, aimed at enhancing healthcare services in the border district.
