Panjab Earns USD 1.2B from Excise, Sisodia Now Appointed AAP State In-charge

Panjab Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced excise revenue surpassing USD 1.2B for the first time, projecting further growth in Fiscal Year 2025-26. While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government claims this is through reforms in liquor policy, the irony is that on the one hand there is a ‘War on Drugs’ and on another the govt. is celebrating earnings from liquor sales. The Panjab Cabinet also amended the Transfer of Prisoner Act, 1950 allowing the state to transfer prisoners to other states. Under the new rules Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, an accused in the Sidhu Moose Wala murder, arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 was moved to an Assam jail. The Cabinet also created new Group A posts in the Social Security, Women and Child Development Department and approved terms for appointments to the Punjab Tirath Yatra Samiti (pilgrimage committee). Panjab Social Justice Empowerment and Minorities minister Baljit Kaur said the state govt. has disbursed USD 2B under various social security schemes. The Cabinet approved an amendment to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules Act, 2011 to boost parental involvement in govt. schools by raising numbers of representatives in the School Management Committee from 12 to 16. Meanwhile, AAP has appointed Delhi ex-CM Manish Sisodia as Panjab affairs in-charge and Satyendra Jain as co-in-charge. Additionally, 2006-batch Indian Administrative Service officer Ravi Bhagat has been appointed Principal Secretary to the CM while he retains his Public Works Department portfolio. The state govt. acknowledged a severe shortage of specialist doctors in border areas, launching interim measures to hire post-graduates and empanel private practitioners. The assembly also confronted a backlog of about 1M vehicle registrations and licenses, with the Transport Minister promising clearance within a month, and the Labor Department considering raising minimum wages.