Punjab govt releases Rs 469 cr for schemes and development projects

The Punjab government today released Rs 469 crore towards pending payments for various schemes and development projects, besides clearing the entire pendency of VAT/GST refunds, an official said.

The funds released today relate to the Local Government and Education departments, as well as the pending social security pensions.

Disclosing this, a spokesperson of the chief minister's office said the funds, released on the directives of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh were aimed at expediting the pace of development in these key areas.

Of the total amount, Rs 188 crore has been released to the Local Government Department for the execution of its ongoing projects, while Rs 138 crore is on account of social security pensions for various categories of beneficiaries.

An amount of Rs 77 crore has been released to the Education Department under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) schemes, said the spokesperson.

The government has also released refunds on account of VAT worth Rs 62 crore and GST for Rs 4 crore, thus clearing its entire pendency in the treasury, added the spokesperson.