Giving a boost to the government’s crop diversification efforts, the Punjab Cabinet, led by Captain Amarinder Singh, on Friday decided to bring guava, banana and vineyards farmers at par with orchard farmers in the matter of the maximum land size they are permitted to own or hold.
The Cabinet okayed an amendment to Section 3(8) of the Punjab Land Reforms Act, 1972 to allow these three fruits also to be covered under the set of exemptions provided to orchard cultivators. It will provide a legal right to a farmer or tenant doing farming in these fruits to keep up to 20.5 hectares of land, as in the case of an orchard farmer.
The Council of Ministers also okayed certain amendments to the Punjab Infrastructure (Development & Regulation) Act, 2002 through a Bill viz. Punjab Infrastructure (Development & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2017. The Bill is aimed at delegating powers and functions of the Arbitration to Punjab Infrastructure Regulatory Authority (PIRA) in respect of various contracts of the Government Departments, Boards, Corporations, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Society or Agency under the control of State government on one hand and the Concessionaire/Contractor or Contractors on the other.