Punjab Government’s major step towards supporting Persons with Disabilities — ₹85 lakh released for free and concessional travel for visually impaired and other differently-abled persons: Dr. Baljit Kaur

Visually impaired persons to travel free and other categories of differently-abled persons to get 50% concession in government buses: Dr. Baljit Kaur

Chandigarh, October 18:Punjab Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur informed that the Punjab Government has released an amount of ₹84.26 lakh to facilitate the free and concessional travel of visually impaired and differently-abled persons in government buses. This amount forms part of the budget earmarked for providing transport facilities to persons with disabilities.

Providing further details, Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that visually impaired persons are entitled to 100% concession in bus fares on all government buses, while other categories of differently-abled persons are eligible for a 50% fare concession. This facility is available to individuals with 40% or more disability, as per the prescribed norms.

The Minister added that for the year 2025–26, a total budget provision of ₹3.50 crore has been made under this scheme. Out of this, ₹2.61 crore has already been utilized, and now an additional ₹84.26 lakh has been released to ensure the continuous benefit of this facility to eligible beneficiaries.

Dr. Baljit Kaur emphasized that under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government is fully committed to making the lives of persons with disabilities more comfortable, secure, and self-reliant. The government’s aim is to provide equal opportunities to every citizen, ensuring that no one is left behind socially or economically.

She further mentioned that besides transport facilities, continuous efforts are being made by the department to promote education, employment, and social empowerment of persons with disabilities so that they can confidently integrate with the mainstream of society.

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PUNJAB TO LAUNCH QUARTERLY BUMPER PRIZE OF RS 1 LAKH UNDER ‘BILL LIYAO INAAM PAO’ SCHEME: HARPAL SINGH CHEEMA

QUARTERLY BUMPER DRAW TO OFFER SECOND PRIZE OF RS. 50,000, AND THIRD PRIZE OF RS. 25,000

DEDICATED MECHANISM FOR BILLS RELATED TO SERVICE SECTOR WILL BE INTRODUCED

SCHEME’S SUCCESS: 30,769 BILLS UPLOADED, 1,263 WINNER WON Rs 78 LAKH FROM APRIL TO AUGUST 2025

Rs 9 CRORE PENALTIES IMPOSED SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE SCHEME

Chandigarh, October 18-In a major push to promote transparency and citizen participation in tax compliance, Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday announced significant enhancements to the popular ‘Bill Liyao Inaam Pao’ scheme. The scheme will now include a quarterly bumper draw, offering substantial cash prizes to incentivize public engagement.

Revealing this in a press communique issued here, the Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that, each quarter, participants will stand a chance to win a First Prize of Rs 1,00,000, a Second Prize of Rs. 50,000, and a Third Prize of Rs. 25,000. He said that the Taxation department will also introduce a dedicated upload option and prize distribution mechanism for bills related to the service sector, such as restaurants, salons, and boutiques, via the “Mera Bill” App to further streamline participation.

"In addition, a real-time Chatbot will be launched to assist users with queries, and the app will now support Punjabi alongside Hindi and English, ensuring broader accessibility for the general public", said Cheema.

Highlighting the scheme’s success, Finance Minister Cheema shared that from April to August 2025, a total of 30,769 bills were uploaded, resulting in 1,263 winners who collectively received Rs 78,13,715 in prize money. He emphasized that all uploaded bills are rigorously verified by the Taxation Department, which has so far imposed penalties amounting to Rs 9.07 crore since the inception of the scheme, and recovered Rs 7.31 crore from discrepancies found in the submitted bills.

Launched in September 2023 by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the ‘Bill Liyao Inaam Pao’ scheme and the accompanying Mera Bill app aimed to foster a culture of responsible consumerism and tax compliance. The scheme excludes bills related to petroleum products including crude oil, petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel, and natural gas, liquor, out-of-state purchases, and B2B transactions. Only bills from purchases made in the preceding month are eligible for the draw, ensuring fairness and operational integrity.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema reiterated the state government’s commitment to empowering citizens through innovative, transparent, and inclusive governance tools, and encouraged all residents to actively participate in the scheme to help build a more accountable Punjab.

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2408 students visits Punjab Vidhan Sabha from Jan 2025 to till date, Says S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan

Chandigarh 18 October 2025:Aiming to provide pragmatic knowledge pertaining to the functioning of Legislative Assembly to the students of the state, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S Kultar Singh Sandhwan had urged the students of Punjab to visit Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

Sandhwan said that 1237 students visited to observe the actual proceedings of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during the session and 1171 students visited during non session days from 1 Jan 2025 to till date.

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Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan today met AAP party convenor Sh. Arvind Kejriwal and wished him Happy Diwali and best wishes for Bandi Chhor Diwas

Speaker Sandhwan has also discussed important issues for taking the country's politics forward in a constructive and people-friendly manner.

Speaker met the students personally and felt extreme happiness to interact with them in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat.

Sandhwan highlighted that interest in the field of politics have been developed among the students while observing the constitutional proceedings of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha which is very important for strengthening the democracy of the country. Speaker told the students that their visit will prove to be immensely beneficial for their future life. Students felt amazed to see the design and architecture of Punjab Vidhan Sabha building.

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