The Punjab Cabinet today approved the summoning of the 6th Session of 14th Vidhan Sabha from October 28 to November 1, 2013.A decision to this effect was taken here at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in CMO this morning. Giving the details, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that the session would commence on October 28 in the afternoon with obituary references. Legislative Business would be executed on October 29, 30 and November 1 while the Non official business would be conducted on October 31. The house would adjourn sine-die after the proposed legislative business on November 1, 2013.
The Cabinet also approved the arrangements for paddy procurement during Kharif Marketing Season 2013-14 which commenced on October 1, 2013. The Cabinet was apprised that the state agencies would procure 135 LMT (90%) and FCI 15 LMT (10%) during Kharif Marketing Season (KMF) 2013-14. The state agencies require 7.71 lakh new gunny bales for packaging of Paddy whereas 7.70 lakh new Gunny bales have been made available to all the state procuring agencies. Cash credit limit amounting to Rs 23600 crore has also been got sanctioned from the RBI for making payments to the farmers and Arthiyaas out of which Rs 17600 crore have already been received by the state government. Balance amount of Rs 6160 crore would also be received soon. Payments to the Arthiyaas and farmers would be made through swipe cards by the state agencies and the farmers have been given the options to receive the payments directly from the procuring agencies also. As many as 1795 purchase centers have been notified and allotted to the six procuring agencies as per their procurement shares by the government.
The Cabinet also okayed to constitute an empowered committee under the Chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal for the implementation of Food Security Act in the state. The empowered committee would comprise Food and Civil Supply Minister Mr. Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, Industries Minister Mr. Madan Mohan Mittal and Finance Minister Mr. Parminder Singh Dhindsa as members. The Cabinet also sanctioned 244 posts of various categories in the districts of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Moga and Sri Muktsar Sahib to further improve the administration and functioning of these districts on one hand and to overcome the shortage of staff on the other. These newly created posts would entail a financial liability of Rs 7.14 crore to the state exchequer. To ensure proper maintenance and upkeep of record related to Registered documents at district levels, the Cabinet also gave approval to create one post of H.R.A (Head Registration Assistant) each in five districts and 11 posts of H.R.Cs (Head Registration Clerks) in the remaining 11 districts.
The Cabinet also decided to create 13 more posts of Additional District and Session Judges in the state, which would be filled within next three months by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in order to ensure quick dispensation of justice to the people.In a bid to provide free legal aid to the poor and bring awareness about legal literacy amongst the masses across the state, the Cabinet gave green signal for the conversion of 229 temporary posts of the Punjab Legal Services Authority into permanent. In another significant decision, the Cabinet approved to regularise the services of those 88 Assistant District Attorneys of State Prosecution and Litigation department.
The Cabinet also decided to create a new Industrial Tribunal at Mohali. The Gurdaspur Industrial tribunal would now function under the Amritsar Tribunal. It may be recalled that currently Industrial Tribunal in Patiala has jurisdiction over Patiala, Ropar, Mohali, Sangrur, Barnala and Fathegarh Sahib districts thereby resulting in huge pendency of cases, which has the highest pendency amongst Industrial tribunals. On the contrary the Industrial Tribunal Gurdaspur has jurisdiction over only two districts viz. Pathankot and Gurdaspur. Moreover the institution of cases in industrial tribunal Gurdaspur was far less as compared to other industrial tribunals. However, the Mohali district has the highest institution of cases being an industrial town having major concentration of industrial units. The Patiala tribunal would now hear cases of Patiala, Barnala and Sangrur districts only.
The Cabinet also approved to amend section 6 of Payment of wages Act, 1936 thereby enabling the workers to get full wages assured under the minimum wages act as the same would be paid through the cheques or by crediting the wages in their bank accounts. The said bill would be presented in the coming session of state assembly.The Cabinet approved the enhancement of annual financial assistance (Jangi Jagir) from Rs 5000 to Rs 10000 with effect from June 28, 2013. It may be recalled that Rs 5000 was paid as War Jagir to the eligible beneficiaries since January 1, 2004. To effectively disseminate the policies and programs of the state government aimed at its overall development and welfare of the people at the grass root level, the Cabinet approved to engage the services of eminent TV/ Film personalities as brand ambassadors. These policies and programs would be aptly projected through advertisements in electronic and print media.
The Cabinet also gave approval for the creation for posts of Advisors/ Media Advisors and their terms & conditions of service. It may be recalled that at present Advisor to Chief Minister on Media and National Affairs (in the rank of state Minister) Mr. Harcharan Bains, Media Advisor to Deputy Chief Minister (in the rank of state Minister) Mr. Jangveer Singh, Assistant Media Advisor to Punjab Government (in the rank of Chief Parliamentary Secretary) Mr. Vineet Joshi and Assistant Media Advisor to Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Harjinder Sidhu had been working with the state government.
In order to help the farmers whose gardens/ orchards have been devastated by water logging and who want to convert them into Agro forestry, the Cabinet has decided that there would be no change in the presently applicable water allowance.
The Cabinet also approved the restructuring plan of the Co-operation department to streamline its functioning in an effective and result oriented manner. As a part of this exercise the Cabinet approved to create 97 new posts while abolishing 926 posts of various categories out of 2782 already approved posts, of which 1643 were lying vacant. After restructuring 1953 posts would be under regular head. Apart from this, it was recommended that 992 vacant posts of direct vacancies would be filled up in three phases viz. financial year 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.
The Cabinet also approved to amend the Punjab Good Conduct Act 1962 to define sufficient cause in section 3 (d) of Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners Temporary Release Act to bring parity in Parole cases and to include grandparents and grand children in the definition of family. In order to combat the fatal disease of cancer in an effective manner, the Cabinet also amended certain schedules of the Punjab VAT Act 2005 thereby exempting the cancer detecting chemicals F-18 and F-18 FDG from the payment of 6.5% VAT. It also approved introduction of VAT at first stage of sale only in case of Cigarette etc.
In a bid to check the evasion of tax by many dealers through floating bogus firms and making huge transactions from outside the state, the Cabinet also approved to amend the provisions of VAT Act to enable collection of advance tax, adjustable against VAT liability on the entry of certain items into the state. In compliance to the orders of the Apex Court of India, the Cabinet also gave nod for extending the jurisdiction of Educational Tribunal Punjab thereby enabling it to hear and decide the cases of disputes between the Management Committees of all unaided educational institutions and their employees by amending the Punjab Privately Managed Recognised Schools Employees (Security of Service) Act 1979 for ensuring speedy justice to the employees of educational institutions. A bill in this regard would be introduced in the forthcoming assembly session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
The Cabinet also decided to grant ex-post facto approval for extension in the reappointment of 10 retired PCS (Executive Branch) Officers on contractual basis for further period of six months till December 31, 2013.The Cabinet also gave approval to revive 48 regular/ permanent posts in the Hospitality department to fill up these posts through outsourcing. The Cabinet also gave approval to appoint each family member of eight deceased farmers/ labourers, of Tarn Taran, Barnala, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Bathinda districts, who died in various farmers' agitations across the state in group C and D on compassionate grounds against the vacant posts lying in the concerned Deputy Commissioner's offices.
In compliance with directions of Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Cabinet decided to enhance amount of compensation from Rs 2 to Rs 3 lakhs to the victims of rape and Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh in cases of murder with rape. To ensure better Animal Health Services in the state as Animal Husbandry plays a vital role in state's economy having GDP of 13%, the Cabinet gave go ahead to recruit 175 Veterinary Inspectors through Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana instead of Punjab State Subordinate Services Selection Board. This decision would give a further boost to state's ambitious program of crop persification. In order to meet the expenditure incurred on the roads and connected infra structure required for plying of motor vehicles on roads, the Cabinet approved to impose a lump sum tax on various motor vehicles at the time of transfer of ownership under the Punjab Motor Vehicle Taxation Act 1924 (amended 2013). This move would result in an additional income of Rs 50 crore per annum.