Chandigarh, January 12
Out of political compulsions, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today showered concessions on trade and industry and made several announcements to give respite to those who had violated building bylaws in cities and towns, besides discouraging female foeticide.

Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhavan, after the Chief Minister met representatives of 28 associations of trade and industry, he announced the withdrawal of Exim forms. The state also decided to increase the limit of gross turnover for summary assessment under the sales tax law from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 75 lakh and extend by one year the three-year deemed assessment scheme.

Capt Amarinder Singh would lead a delegation of trade and industry to the Prime Minister to take up the problems faced by the steel industry, particularly small-sector units, and also seek concessions under central sales tax as operative in the neighbouring states. Punjab would also take up the issue of huge stock of sugar.

Capt Amarinder Singh also announced several relief measures for urban consumers, who had accumulated arrears of interest and penalty for non-payment of water supply bills and sewerage charges, besides having violated the building bylaws.

Under the ‘’amnesty scheme’’, interest and penalty has been waived, provided defaulter consumers deposit the original billed amount before February 28. The present interest up to 18 per cent per annum on the delayed deposit of bills was also slashed to 9 per cent, effective January 1. The state had already decided to review the earlier decision to double the charges of water supply etc in four years.

The Chief Minister announced a ‘’one-time-settlement’’ scheme for compounding of violations of building bylaws, provided these violations did not encroach upon any government or public land. An ordinance would be issued for the purpose shortly. Funds, estimated at Rs 300 crore, collected from these violations would be used to improve urban infrastructure. There are estimated to be 11,000 violations in the corporation cities alone. The rate of compounding the offences would soon be notified. In commercial areas, the rate will be Rs 500 per square feet, for non-prime areas, Rs 200 per square feet. In residential areas, it will Rs 200 per square feet.

The Chief Minister announced that the World Bank had approved a Rs 1,640 crore water supply and sewerage scheme for 22 towns, which would have 100 per cent facilities. Similar assistance from the World Bank was expected for infrastructure like roads and bridges, rural drinking water and sanitation etc.

Under the Kanya Jagriti Jyoti scheme, the government has decided to give Rs 5,000 each up to two girls against the present “one girl child’’ norm, born into Scheduled Caste families. This was intended to discourage female foeticide as well as to correct the distorted male female ratio, which is highly skewed in the state.