Chinese firm to launch electric cars, buses in state

Tuesday, 04/07/2017

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=178209&boxid=58819&uid=&dat=2017-07-04

Chandigarh : In a major boost to Punjab’s efforts to bring in investment, Chinese PSU major Yinlong has proposed to launch a pilot project to run electric cars and buses in Amritsar, followed by the smart cities of Jalandhar and Ludhiana, and to set up an electrical vehicle manufacturing facility in the state.

The company will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Punjab government through M/s ZTEsoft Technologies Co Ltd to facilitate the state in getting financial assistance for a series of programmes and projects, including smart technologies for smart cities, venture funding, development in the areas of Information Technology, incubation and startup activities, ePragati, among others.

This was decided at a meeting here between Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and a delegation of Zhuhai Yinlong New Energy Co Ltd led by its Chief Executive Officer, India, Alex Li on Monday.

The company also made a proposal to the Chief Minister to provide mobile handsets, under its brand name Leeco, for the Captain Amarinder smart phone scheme, which the government is all set to launch to implement a key pre-poll promise.

Giving details of the proposal for running electric buses and cars in the state, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said Yinlong will launch the scheme with a demonstration/pilot project in Amritsar, to be extended to the smart cities in the next phase.

The scheme is proposed to be launched on the lines of similar schemes already implemented in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh under a lease model, which enables revenue generation through sale of tickets on commercial electric vehicles, said the spokesperson.

Li told the Chief Minister that the transition from conventional petrol/diesel run vehicles to electric vehicles would be the best suited for the holy city of Amritsar besides the upcoming smart cities of Ludhiana and Jalandhar. To popularize the concept of energy vehicles, Li informed the Chief Minister that the company would press several such demo vehicles into service in these cities so as to make the commuters familiar with the product. Likewise, he also showed enormous interest in the energy storage systems to make the environment of state clean, green and pollution-free.

Responding to the proposal put forth by Li, the Chief Minister assured the delegation of all possible support and cooperation on behalf of the state government to make this project a reality. He said Punjab abounds in skilled labour besides congenial investment climate which could further boost the prospects of trade and commerce activities in the state.

Captain Amarinder told Li that single window service provided by the Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion (PBIP) would ensure all clearances required for setting up of industrial units in a time bound manner without any frills. The Chief Minister also said that his government was ready to forge alliance with the company on any business model as mutually accepted to both the parties.

Chief Minister exhorts aartiyas to check charging of exorbitant interest rates from farmers

Chandigarh : Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has exhorted the aartiyas to check charging of exorbitant interest rates on loans to farmers, while urging them to bail out the distressed farmers facing severe financial crisis as a result of huge debt burdens.

He also directed the state’s aartiyas to ensure adequate transport arrangements for smooth lifting of paddy during the current Kharif season in view of the abolition of the truck unions.

Addressing a meeting of Aartiyas, under the umbrella of the Federation of Aartiyas Association of Punjab, the Chief Minister made it clear that the interests of the farmers would be protected at all costs. “It is our bounden duty to safeguard the interests of the farming community, and the state government has already taken a lead by announcing a debt waiver of Rs 1,500 crore in the first phase,” said Captain Amarinder Singh.

Captain Amarinder asked the delegation members to identify those unscrupulous elements in the aartiya community who were fleecing the farmers by charging higher rate of interest than their mutually agreed 1.5 per cent per month (18 per cent per annum). Such elements must be thrown out of the community as a deterrent against such activity in the future, he said.

Mandi Board chairman Lal Singh urged the aartiyas to issue passbooks to the farmers who were taking loans to help them remain updated about their outstanding dues and prevent their exploitation.

On the issue of rationalization of interest rates charged by the aartiyas, the Chief Minister asked them to represent their case before the three member Cabinet sub-committee, comprising Ministers Navjot Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Singh Badal and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa. The committee has been tasked with examining the provisions of Punjab Agriculture Indebtedness Act, 2016 for making it more effective and ensuring level playing field to all the stake holders, including farmers, aartiyas and commercial banks.