Chandigarh, Oct 24 (TIWN) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday laid the foundation stones of various urban development projects entailing an expenditure of Rs 700 crore in all 167 towns and cities with urban local bodies in the state.

The Chief Minister, while virtually launching the projects, said that the Department of Excise and Taxation will soon notify the scheme, which his government had decided to initiate in view of the concerns of businesses that issues related to their Value Added Tax assessments and grievances were not been redressed speedily.  Noting that cities are also centres of economic activity, with focus on trade and industry, he further said he had asked the Industries and Taxation Departments to work out a more user-friendly system to ensure that businesses, industry and traders do not have to go from one office to another.  Amarinder Singh also underlined the need to ensure cleanliness of towns, urging all cities to segregate domestic solid waste.  He appreciated Nawanshahr for its consistent good performance in the Cleanliness Surveys of the government of India.