In a bid to boost industrialization in the state, the Punjab Cabinet today approved the proposal of Punjab State Industries Export Corporation (PSIEC) to set up two new industrial focal points over an area of nearly 500 acres at village Dhanansu in district Ludhiana and village Pabra & Takhtumajra near Rajpura in district Patiala.This decision was taken by the Punjab Cabinet during its meeting chaired by the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal here at Punjab Bhawan this evening. Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that the State Rural Development and Panchayats department has given its approval for transfer of around 300 acres of Panchayati land at village Dhanansu in district Ludhiana and 200 acres at village Pabra and Takhtumajra near Rajpura in district Patiala to PSIEC for setting up of two industrial focal points as per the price determined by the committee headed by the concerned Deputy Commissioner. Both the new focal points would be established in near future adequately equipped with modern basic amenities.
It may be recalled that PSIEC has been developing industrial focal points to facilitate industrial development in Punjab having a network of 42 focal points across the state. During the Progressive Punjab Investment Summit held in the year 2013 and 2015, the prospective entrepreneurs had strongly impressed upon the state government for providing additional availability of land to set up their ventures. Accordingly, the state government had directed PSIEC for the creation of land bank.Moreover, there was a strong demand from the industry for setting up of new industrial area around Ludhiana having state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities besides Rajpura has long term potential because of its close proximity to Chandigarh Rail Head and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. Both the proposed areas are envisaged to be part of Amritsar-Kolkata Corridor. Setting up these two industrial focal points would give impetus to industrialization in the state.
The Cabinet also approved the rules of Punjab Nurses Education Service (Group-A and Group-B) to enable the two Government Nursing Colleges at Amritsar and Patiala, affiliated with Indian Nursing Council to immediately fill 130 posts of Nursing Teaching Faculty.This decision would also help these colleges to start Post Graduate Degree and Diploma courses in near future apart from appointing regular teaching staff to impart quality education to the nursing students. It may be recalled that the state government had already created 130 posts of teaching nursing faculty under the Medical Education and Research department.The Cabinet also decided to give approval for conversion of an ordinance into a bill to be presented in the forthcoming session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha for the Health and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme for all those farmers, who bring their produce to the Marketing Yards/Purchase Centres established by the Punjab Mandi Board. All such farmers would be provided a health insurance cover of Rs.50,000 and personal accident insurance of Rs.5 lac under the Bhagat Puran Singh Health Insurance Scheme. As per the information available with State Agriculture department, almost 11 lac farmers would get benefitted under this scheme. The expenditure so incurred to implement this scheme would be entirely borne by the Punjab Mandi Board.
With a view to ensuring far more efficiency in the functioning of Punjab State Minorities Commission, the Punjab Cabinet also decided to broadbase its composition to nominate a Vice-Chairman and five more non-government members besides a Chairman and five non-government members already existing in the commission.To bring in far more transparency and cross checking, the accounts of the Punjab Rural Development Board would be audited by the Local Fund Accounts of Finance Department. The Cabinet also gave approval for the conversion of Ordinance issued for the purpose into an Act, in which a provision was inserted in Punjab Rural Development Act, 1987 through an Ordinance issued vide notification on February 25, 2016. It was also decided by the Cabinet that the Budget Session of Punjab State Assembly would begin at 10 AM instead of 2 PM on March 8, 2016 (Tuesday). The Cabinet also authorised the concerned ministers to accord approval for the conversion of ordinances into bills.