Flying Lt. Manu Akhauri needs to be suitably honored

Mr. Manpreet Singh Badal, Finance Minister has urged the Government of India to suitably honor the Pilot Flying Lt. Manu Akhauri posthumously with Prestigious Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shree Awards on the Republic Day 2010, who laid down his life while saving many precious lives, public property and thickly populated habitations in his constituency at Gidderbaha in district Muktsar.

In a communiqué addressed to the Chief Minister Punjab and the Chief Secretary, he said that the Indian Air force Pilot in the MIG 21 no C-9116 flying over the village having population of about 6000, developed some technical snag and caught fire, knowing that the MIG could crash anytime the Pilot instead of bailing out and saving his life first he saved the thickly populated area and a Petrol Pump he managed to take the fighter to a considerable height. Again when the fighter coming down he saved the bus and second time sacrificed his life to save his Country men. Mr. Badal said that he and his people of his constituency would always remember the exemplary courage, bravery and patriotism of the young Pilot would be remembered for ever.

Mr. Badal also strongly recommended to the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary Punjab to adequately honor this great son of India who sacrificed his life with State and other gallantry awards.

Manpreet Singh Badal asks all Punjabis to celebrate Independence Day with vigour

It should be more than a government function and should have maximum public participation : Manpreet

Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today appealed to all people to actively participate in the Independence Day celebrations and appealed to everyone to reaffirm their commitment to the cause of the nation.
In a statement issued here today, Manpreet Singh Badal said the celebrations of Independence Day should not be restricted to a government function and that all sections of society should come together on one platform on this day. “Since this GOLDEN DAY occurs just once in a year, all sections of society must come together on Independence Day and make it a truly public participatory affair.”
Since the state of Punjab contributed tremendously towards the achievement of Indian independence, it is our solemn duty of all Punjabis to reaffirm its commitment to the cause of the nation, Manpreet said. He appealed to all Punjabis to get together and display solidarity bypassing fissiparous tendencies.
Ideally we should outperform our previous generation in our dedication to the nations cause. While the previous generations gave their lives, went to jail and suffered for the independence of our nation, it is our responsibility to salute their sacrifice, the Finance Minister said, adding that Independence Day is an appropriate occasion for us to honour them and rededicate ourselves.
Let us take this opportunity to spend some time honoring their sacrifice. In an entire year of 365 days, there is just one day when we celebrate Independence Day.
The Finance Minister added that the agenda of Independence is still unfulfilled since we need independence from poverty, illiteracy and ignorance. “Independence Day is also time for regeneration and renewal: renewal of commitments to abolish the inequalities that exist, and regeneration so that we can march forward with renewed vigour”, Manpreet Singh Badal added.

Manpreet Badal in jury to judge India’s best banks

http://www.medianewsline.com/news/117/ARTICLE/4853/2009-07-26.html
The Financial Express, the leading business daily from The Express Group today presented fe INDIA’S BEST BANKS AWARDS, with the intent to honour banks that have delivered exemplary performance on various parameters including growth, profitability and strength and soundness in the last financial year. The awards were conferred at a glittering ceremony, at The Crystal Ballroom, The Taj Mahal Palace & Towers, Mumbai and presided over by The Hon’ble Union Minister of Finance, Mr. Pranab Mukjerjee. Leaders of India’s financial sector including heads of banks, industry stalwarts and luminaries graced the occasion.

The awards featured coveted trophies in nine clearly defined categories based on the fe INDIA’S BEST BANKS survey. Trophies were awarded to the top two among each of the following categories: Nationalized Bank, Old Private Sector Bank, New Private Sector Bank and Foreign Bank. Individual Bankers were also awarded for Lifetime Achievement, Best Banker of the year and the Best Innovator. This apart, awards were given to the best performing banks on the following parameters: Strength & Soundness, Growth, Profitability, Efficiency and Credit Quality. The methodology adopted by the survey was rigorous and based on extensive crunching of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data by Ernst &Young, the knowledge partner to the fe INDIA’S BEST BANKS awards.

The illustrious jury list comprised Rajesh Chakrabarti, Assistant Professor of Finance, Indian School of Business, Pramod Bhasin, President & CEO, Genpact, Anand Mahindra, Vice-Chairman & MD, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., Vijay Mahajan, Chairman, BASIX, Arvind Sharma, Chairman & CEO, Leo Burnett, Manpreet Singh Badal, Finance Minister, Punjab, Jignesh Shah, MD & CEO, MCX, Nandan M. Nilekani, Co-Chairman of the Board, Infosys Technologies, Kalpana Morparia, CEO, JP Morgan India, Priya Paul, Chairman, Apeejay Park Hotels, C.S. Rao, Former Chairman, IRDA, Vinod Rai, Comptroller and Auditor General of India, S.S. Kohli, CMD, India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd.

Says Editor-in-Chief, The Express Group, Shekhar Gupta, “The fe India’s Best Banks survey has come to be acknowledged in banking and financial circles as the definitive word on the industry and its performance. This time around, FE has decided to acknowledge the country’s best banks and the people who run them by way of an awards ceremony.”

Focusing on the dynamic scenario that Indian banks face today, the awards ceremony also featured a high-powered panel discussion titled “‘Lessons from the turmoil: new challenges in profitability and growth’, in line with the theme of this year’s survey. The panel comprised Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director & CEO, ICICI Bank , O P Bhatt, Chairman, State Bank of India , S S Kohli, Chairman & MD, India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd. , Manisha Girotra, Chairperson, UBS Securities Ltd , Naina Lal Kidwai, General Manager & Country Head, HSBC – India, S Nagnath, Chairman & CIO, DSP Black Rock Investment Managers Ltd. , Vishwavir Ahuja, CEO, Bank of America (India).

Finance Minister announces enhanced Dearness Allowance for employees

The Punjab Government today enhanced Dearness Allowance payable to Punjab Government employees, pensioners and employees of Private Aided Institutions from the existing rate of 47% to 54% of Basic Pay plus Dearness Pay w.e.f.1st July, 2008.
Disclosing this here today, Mr. Manpreet Singh Badal, Finance Minister said that in the case of employees, the whole amount on account of enhanced Dearness Allowance due for then period from 1-7-2008 to 31-12-2008 would be credited to the General Provident Fund Accounts of the employees. For the period from 1.01.2009 enhanced dearness allowance would be paid in cash.
However, in the case of pensioners entire amount on account of enhanced Dearness Allowance would be paid in cash w.e.f.1.7.2008.
The Finance Minister said that payment of Dearness Allowance would lead to an annual burden of Rs.315.09 crore on the exchequer of the State. The burden of Rs.225.06 crore would on account of payment to employees, Rs.33.76 crore on account of employees of private aided Institutions and Rs.56.27 crore due to pensioners.
The Minister added that in the case of such employees who have been appointed on or after 1-1-2004 under the news restructured defined Contributory Pension Scheme and have not yet opened their accounts under Tier-II of the scheme, the Department would purchase National Saving Certificate/Kissan Vikas Patras from Post Offices in the State of Punjab with the amount of arrears on account of enhanced Dearness Allowance in the names of such employees.
Instructions to this effect were today issued to all Head of Departments, Registrar, High Court of Punjab & Haryana, District and Session Judges and Deputy Commissioners in the State.

Manpreet Singh Badal calls for NGOs and voluntary organizations to work at grassroots level

Chandigarh: Manpreet Singh Badal , Finance Minister Punjab today gave a call to all the Non Government Organizations( NGOs) and Voluntary Organizations (VOs) to come forward in getting the programmes and policies of the state government effectively implemented at the grass root levels. NGOs in governance were emerging as there was greater realization to introduce community participation in various new areas of governance such as community policing, alternate dispute management, probity & transparency, performance report cards etc. apart from new partnership that was already in the process of being forged in terms of community participation for water supply & sanitation, forestry, education, watershed management, panchayati raj, urban governance and rural development, said the minister.
Mr. Badal was speaking at the inauguration of a conference on Prospects of Participatory Management in Governance through Voluntary Organization in Punjab organized by the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration Punjab at Chandigarh here today. Appreciating the role of voluntary organizations and non government organizations, Mr. Badal addressed them as the Unsung Heroes who were constantly at work behind the screen. He said that public participation was the need of an hour and thus the state government has an open mind towards the NGOs and VOs and certainly wants their active participation. He also advised them to rise above the political considerations in discharging their duties in the larger public interest. Reiterating his government’s resolve in providing free, fair and transparent governance, Mr. Badal said that the Centre for Participatory Management & Voluntary Organizations (CPMVO) set up by Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration would help in developing a framework for involvement of NGOs in participatory management and dissemination of good practices for wider sharing and replication.
Mr. Ramesh Inder Singh, Chief Secretary Punjab while delivering the valedictory address, said that the Non- Government organizations represented the constructive potential of the civil society and could contribute a great deal in all spheres of modern governance. Most of the programmes launched by the Government of India for social and economic development now envisaged partnership with the NGOs. NGO movement was undergoing expansion and transformation at unprecedented scale, said the Chief Secretary.
Mr. B.K.Srivastava, Director General MGSIPA while addressing the delegates said that this was perhaps the first endeavor of the CPMVO in pursuance of the new plan scheme approved by the Punjab government to promote participation, participatory management in governance through involvement of the civil society in general and the NGOs in particular. He said that this centre was set up primarily to promote participatory management in governance and to accredit and recognize NGOs of Punjab. He emphasized the need to promote creation of NGOs in non-tradition areas and to design modules for participatory management in various spheres of governance.
Panel discussions were held wherein the NGOs interacted with the heads of grant giving departments such as Planning, Rural Development and Panchayats, School Education, Health, Social Security, Women and Child Development, Local Government and Urban Development, Water Supply and Sanitation and Forests & Wild Life. Mr. P.H.Vaishnav Former Chief Secretary Punjab and Chairman SOSVA, Chandigarh was invited to initiate discussions on behalf of participating NGOs. Mr. Satish Chandra Secretary Planning chaired the panel discussion. The delegates and representing various NGOs were divided into 7 groups and each group was given topics for discussion.