The Punjab Cabinet today gave nod to the draft of Punjab e-stamp Rules-2014 for the implementation of e-stamping system to ensure far more efficiency and transparency in the revenue collection of the state.A decision to this effect was taken by the Council of Ministers in its meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here at Punjab Bhawan this evening.Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that e-stamping would eliminate purchase of stamp papers and would ensure transparency, faster collection of registration fee and would guard against embezzlement.In order to enhance accountability and transparency in functioning of government offices besides bringing the services at the door step of residents of the state, the Cabinet also gave approval to free Right of Way to BSNL for connecting state government offices at District/ Sub pision/ Block/ Tehsil/ Sub Tehsil level to State Wide Area Network established by Department of Governance Reforms under E-district Project, a State Mission Mode Project as a part of National E-Governance Plane. 47 Key citizen centric services including birth/ death certificates, pension services, ration card services, marriage, caste and residence certificates, RTI and Grievances have been selected under the project. Similarly 32 services would be offered online to citizens under State Service Delivery Gateway. Pertinently, this E-district project has already been successfully implemented in Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts as pilot project and now this project would be implemented in remaining 20 districts across the state within six months.
The Cabinet also gave approval to include the words “Blockade of Rail or Road Traffic” in part 2 (C) of ‘The Punjab Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property Bill-2014’ defining “damaging act”. In the recent past there had been many incidents of violent demonstrations, agitations and damage to public and private property in the state. The bill provides for punishment upto one year and fine of Rs one lakh to those who damage public or private property through agitation, stroke, bandh and blockade of Rail or Road traffic. If the damage was done by making use of explosives then the punishment would be upto two years and fine of Rs one lakh. This amendment would not act as a deterrent for the miscreants to participate in such agitations and demonstrations and cause damage to public and private property, but also help to recover from them the damages on this count.
The Cabinet also approved setting up of Maharaja Ranjit Singh State Technical University, Bathinda, Bill 2014 for the establishment and incorporation of a University for the advancement of Technical education and development thereof in the state. The upcoming technical university would exercise territorial jurisdiction over Bathinda, Barnala, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Mansa, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Patiala, Sangrur besides other areas outside Punjab. It may be recalled that Punjab had earlier only one technical university viz. Punjab Technical University (PTU) at Jalandhar and had 283 technical institutions (engineering, management, pharmacy, architecture and hotel management) affiliated to it with nearly 62000 seats.
The Cabinet also approved to set up Attari Block in Amritsar district under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) besides sanctioning the post of Child Development Project Officer and other supporting staff in the newly created Attari Block.In a bid to strengthen the share capital of Cooperative Banks, the Cabinet introduced a new section 2 (m) and amended section 6 and 15 of the Punjab Cooperatives Societies Act, 1961 enabling Public Sector Organisations to buy shares in the Cooperative Banks and Institutions.
In order to ensure prompt disposal of the cases registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the state, the Cabinet also gave nod for establishment of another CBI court at Patiala along with the requisite supporting staff. In pursuance of the state government's policy to promote sports in the state, the Cabinet also gave its approval for exclusively creating 125 posts every year for outstanding players, who brought laurels to the state by winning medal in Olympics, Asian and Commonwealth Games. The creation of these posts would not only provide employment opportunities to the outstanding players but would also act as source of inspiration for the budding players to excel in sports. These appointees would be appointed in various departments but would remain on deputation to Sports Department for 10 years to promote Sports.
In a move aimed at upgrading the road infra structure in the state, the Cabinet also gave green signal for amending sub-section (8) of section 3 of the Punjab Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1924 to increase the rate of one time motor vehicle tax levied at the time of issuing new stage carriage permit and for additional from existing Rs 1500 to Rs 2500 per kilometers in case of big buses. However in case of State Transport Undertaking there would be no change.The Cabinet also gave go ahead to amend Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Act, 1974 thereby fixing the tenure Chairman and Members of Education Tribunal constituted under the Act. The term of Chairman and Members of tribunal has been fixed as three years or till the attainment of age of 65 years, whichever was earlier.
In a bid to upgrade the level of higher education besides opening new vistas of employment for the youth of state, the Cabinet also gave approval for setting up of GNA Self Financed Private University at Phagwara run by S. Amar Singh Educational and Charitable Trust under the Punjab Private Universities Policy 2010.In a bid reprieve to the visually impaired JBT/ ETT teachers, the Cabinet also gave approval for filling up the backlog of 167 posts of visually impaired JBT/ ETT teachers as per the "Persons with Disabilities (Equal Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995.
The Cabinet also gave its concurrence for the filling up the 4445 vacant posts of different cadres in Privately Managed Recognized Aided School of the state on contract basis. These teachers would be on probation for five years and would be regularised thereafter subject to clearing the probation. These vacant posts would be filled up on contract basis in four years@ 25% per year. This would help in imparting quality education to the students of these schools by preventing the loss of their study due to shortage of staff.
The Cabinet also approved to sanction 66 posts of Medical officers for 22 upcoming rehabilitation centres so as to enable the drug addicts lead a normal life with dignity and sense of self respect.The Cabinet also decided to authorize the Deputy Commissioners to cancel any invalid deed which might have on the basis of forged land record fard, expired/ withdrawn/ registered/ cancelled power of attorney or impersonation. A bill in this regard would be presented in the coming session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha.The Cabinet also approved the draft of bill to set up Police Complaint Authorities at state and pisional level.
It was also decided in the Cabinet that the Council of Ministers would meet every alternate Tuesday. Likewise, the meeting of District Grievances Committees would be held on every first Thursday of the month to ensure prompt redressal of complaints of the people.To ensure better coordination amongst the officers from the state Headquarters and field staff, the Cabinet also decided that Head of the Departments/ Administrative Secretaries would visit the field on every Friday. Similarly it was also decided that none of any officer posted in filed would be summoned for meeting at state Headquarters on Monday, Tuesday andWednesday.