The Punjab Government today told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it had initiated steps to reduce the prices of cancer drugs.

Punjab is passing through a phase of ‘fiscal stress’ and is borrowing heavily to pay interest on loans, leaving little money for development.

Punjab is no land for guzzlers, both of soft and hard drinks.

Soft drinks and cigarettes will cost more in Punjab effective April 1, with the state government hiking the Value Added Tax (VAT) in the Rs 460.21 crore deficit budget presented in the state assembly here today.

Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa presented the budget for 2013-14 even as the opposition Congress members abstained from the House for the sixth successive day, holding a "mock session" outside the Assembly complex to protest suspension of their nine members last week.

Industries Minister Anil Joshi today announced that the state government had now allowed some relaxation under the Mining Rules for better access to sand and gravel.

The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which was tabled in the Vidhan Sabha today, points out lacunae in the execution of works under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojna.

Education, health and agriculture are three main sectors that are likely to be in focus as Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa presents the annual Punjab Budget in the Assembly on Wednesday.

And, the Budget is unlikely to see the imposition of any new taxes, though it will definitely have an outline on increasing resources by increasing the existing tax rate/slabs. The SAD-BJP government is also likely to offer cashless insurance to the state government employees.

Punjab continues to paint a grim picture so far as the growth rate of its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is concerned. Among the big non-special category states, Punjab is a laggard.

The state Cabinet today gave its approval to introducing the Punjab State Cancer and Drug Addiction Treatment Infra Structure Fund Bill, 2013, in the coming Budget session of the state assembly. The Bill aims at creating a special fund for setting up infrastructure, including equipment, in selected hospitals for treatment of cancer as well as drug addiction.

To facilitate NRIs (non-resident Indians) in getting their properties vacated, the Cabinet gave the go-ahead to the Punjab Rent (Amendment) Bill, 2013. The Bill will be tabled in the assembly during the Budget session. All properties on rent under an agreement will come under the purview of this new law.

Muktsar, March 4: Dengue and malaria cases, which have kept the health authorities in Muktsar district on their toes for years, came down considerably last year.