Chandigarh, September 22
In a major push to resolve the grievances of the business community and accelerate local development, Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, who also serves as Chairman of the Punjab State Traders Commission (PSTC), has directed that all concerned departments must ensure that their gazetted officers should attend the upcoming round of district-level Traders Commission meetings.
Chairing a high-level review meeting of the PSTC alongside Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora and Tarunpreet Singh Sondh, and PSTC Vice Chairman Anil Thakur, the Finance Minister underscored that these district meetings must thoroughly review all completed development projects and address pending grievances raised by traders.
Addressing the meeting, Finance Minister Cheema said that a dedicated fund of Rs 2 crore has already been allocated for the development works suggested by commission at the district level under Rangla Punjab scheme. He assured that payments for all sanctioned works would be disbursed without delay as soon as the respective bills are raised.
Cabinet Minister Aman Arora stressed the need to further institutionalise efficiency and transparency in administrative processes. He advocated for a clearly defined workflow specifying completion timelines, the precise nature of each project, and fixed accountability for executing authorities. He also called for strengthening coordination mechanisms across departments to prevent administrative bottlenecks.
Reassuring the trading community, Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sondh highlighted that issues and grievances pertaining to the power department are already being resolved on a priority and fast-track basis.
Concluding the review meeting, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema reaffirmed the Punjab Government’s firm commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment, enhancing administrative responsiveness, and ensuring that the concerns of traders across the state are resolved in a transparent and time-bound manner.
Meanwhile, Taxation Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal gave a presentation on the development works completed and grievances resolved so far, during the review meeting attended by Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies, Rahul Tiwari, Additional DGP (Law and Order) SPS Parmar, Special Secretary, Information and Public Relations, Puneet Goyal, officers from departments including Industries, Labour, Local Bodies and PSPCL, and all Deputy Commissioners and SAPs who joined through video conferencing.