Punjab govt to refer recruitments to UPSC

Chandigarh, May 25 (UNI) In an unprecedented move aimed at ensuring transparency and objectivity, the Punjab Government purposes to refer recruitment to the key government posts to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

To begin with recruitment of 76 Excise and Taxation Officers would be referred to UPSC.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of the Cabinet Sub Committee here today to discuss the ways and means to mobilise additional resources for the development of the state. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

The Chief Minister directed the state Chief Secretary to make a request to the Chairman UPSC to initiate and complete the recruitment process of the ETOs within a definite time frame. He said that since Excise and Taxation was a key department for resource mobilisation, factors like professional commitment and integrity could not be compromised during the selection process.

He also asked the Financial Commissioner, Taxation to put up a proposal to revise the basic educational qualifications for the posts of ETOs with emphasis on computer literacy. Efforts would be made to enlist those with business administration and computer education as the basic qualifications.

It was also informed in the meeting that all out efforts would be made to increase the revenue from VAT to the tune of Rs 750 crore during the current financial year by bringing efficiency in the department of Excise and Taxation and improvement in the computerised system.

Likewise, the state government would also make an endeavour to substantially raise the revenue by way of collection from stamp duty and registration. The modalities for the additional resource mobilisation in the transport and housing and urban development sectors were also discussed in the meeting.

Prominent amongst others who attended the meeting included Local Government Minister Manoranjan Kalia, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Medical Education and Research Minister Tikshan Sood, Media Advisor to Chief Minister Harcharan Bains, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Finance Raj Kumar Khurana, Chief Secretary R I Singh, Financial Commissioner Romilla Dubey, Financial Commissioner Taxation S S Brar, Principal Secretary Finance D S Kalha, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister D S Guru and Principal Secretary Transport D S Jaspal.

UNI