Chandigarh: The Punjab Cabinet led by chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday gave approval to start Mukhya Mantri Tirath Yatra Darshan scheme (CM pilgrimage scheme) to enable the people of the state to visit various pilgrimage sites across the country free of cost from the upcoming 'parkash purab' of Sri Guru Nanak Dev on November 27.
An official spokesperson said that as it was the aspiration of every person of the state that he or she visited the pilgrimage places such as Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, Sri Patna Sahib, Varanasi, Ayodhya Mandir and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh and Sri Ajmer Sharif, Rajasthan, Sri Anandpur Sahib, Sri Amritsar Sahib, Salasar Dham, Khaatu Shyam ji, Mata Chintpurni, Mata Vaishno Devi, Mata Jawalaji and others, for which this scheme had been started.
As per the scheme, there would be two modes of travel and for long distance destinations - mode of travel would be by train whereas for shorter distances, it would be by road.
OTS to clear pre-GST dues
The Cabinet also gave its nod to introduce the Punjab one-time settlement (OTS) scheme for settlement of pre-GST arrears thereby benefitting more than 60,000 traders.
The spokesperson said that the scheme had been launched for recovery of outstanding dues, 2023 for settlement of pre-GST arrears to enable reduction of compliance burden of legacy cases. The OTS would be applicable from November 15, 2023 and would be valid till March 15, 2024 and the taxpayers whose assessments had been framed till March 31, 2023 with amount of total demand (tax, penalty and interest up to March 31, 2023) up to Rs 1 Crore, would be eligible to apply for settlement under this scheme.
The OTS would provide complete waiver in case of arrears up to Rs. 1 lakh as on March 31, 2023 which would cover nearly 39,787 cases and a further, waiver of 100% interest, 100% penalty and 50% of the tax amount is being given in nearly 19,361 cases.
Not to double disabled soldiers' grant
The Cabinet also gave its consent to double ex-gratia grant of disabled soldiers both from military and para-military force with disability from 76% to 100% to Rs 40 Lakh, disabled soldiers with 51% to 75% disability to Rs 20 Lakh and disabled soldiers with 25% to 50% disability to Rs 10 Lakhs.
