In a major relief to the property holders who have been allotted plots by the government and semi government authorities, the Punjab Cabinet today gave approval for getting the conveyance deeds registered at the rates prevalent at the time of allotment. A decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet during its meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal here at Punjab Bhawan, this afternoon. Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that the Cabinet has decided to give a period of two months to all those allottees who had paid all the installments of their properties but could not get the conveyance deeds registered. It is pertinent to mention that the allottees were permitted to get the conveyance deeds registered within a specific time at the allotment price. However, some of the allottees could not get the conveyance deeds registered within that allowed time period due to various reasons.
They have been making representations to the Revenue Department that they might be given another chance to do so. Taking a considerate and sympathetic view the Cabinet decided to give a last chance to such allottees to get the conveyance deeds registered within a period of two months from the date of notification of this decision failing which such properties would be registered at the prevalent collector rates. Likewise, the Cabinet also amended “The Punjab Legislative Assembly Speaker’s and Deputy Speaker’s Salary Act”, “East Punjab Ministers Salary Act 1947”, “The Punjab Ministers Travelling Allowance Rules, 1953” and the rules governing the travelling allowance of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and Parliamentary Secretaries and others dated November 23, 2006 and January 31, 2011, “The Punjab Legislative (Salary and Allowances of Members) Act 1942” and “The Punjab State Legislature Members (Pension and Medical Facilities Regulation) Act 1977” to enhance the salary/ pension, allowances, ex-gratia grants and other perks of Chief Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Ministers including Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and MLAs/ ex-MLAs.
Based on the demands raised in the Legislative assembly, the General Purposes Committee of the house considered the existing salaries and perks of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, Ministers including Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition. The Cabinet considered the report of the General Purpose Committee of the house and also considered the salary and perks prevalent in the states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. After due and deliberate consideration, the Cabinet accepted the report of the committee regarding enhancement in the salaries and perks of the Chief Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Ministers including Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and MLAs/ ex-MLAs. As per this decision, the salary of Speaker and Deputy Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha would be enhanced from existing Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000. Likewise, the salary of Chief Minister has been hiked from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh and that of Ministers including Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 besides the salary of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries would be Rs 40,000 against the existing Rs 20,000. Similarly, the salary/ pension of MLAs/ ex-MLAs too have been revised from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000. The Cabinet also gave approval to revise certain allowances and perks admissible to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Chief Minister, Ministers including Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and MLAs/ ex-MLAs.It may be recalled that the last revision in the salaries and perks of Chief Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Ministers including Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and MLAs/ ex-MLAs was made in year 2010. Even after this revision the Chief Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Ministers including Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and MLAs/ ex-MLAs would still be paid less than what their respective counterparts in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were drawing. The aforementioned bills to bring relevant amendments would be placed in the ongoing session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha for enactment.