Chandigarh - The Punjab Cabinet today gave approval to initiate the process of disbursement of cash grant to the eligible war widows/legal heirs as per the decision taken by the Council of Ministers in its meeting held on August 11, 2016.
A decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet in 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 all those who had applied till January 4, 2010 would be eligible for the said benefit. A committee of Revenue Minister and Financial Commissioner Revenue had been formed to take the process further.
The Cabinet also approved the Punjab Cooperative Audit (Group-B) Service Rules, 2016. Presently, the Punjab Cooperative Audit Service (Group-B) Rules, 2007 and the Punjab Cooperative Audit Department Service (Ministerial) (State Service Class-3) Rules, 1972 were applied in the Cooperation Department. Thereafter, new posts have been created. Besides this, due to change in categorization of the some posts, of Senior Scale Stenographers, Senior Assistants/Accountants and Inspectors Audit Cooperative Societies have been included in Group-B, which earlier fell in Class-3.
The Cabinet also gave nod to recruit 102 persons on contract basis under the grant of 13 th Finance Commission in the Economic and Statistical Organization of Planning department.
In compliance with the orders of Punjab and Haryana High Court in CWP No. 7500 of 2010, the Cabinet approved to create Road Safety Fund. It may be recalled that in view of the increased accidents and deaths on roads in the country, the Supreme Court of India has constituted a Committee on Road safety, that has issued many directions for saving precious human lives which otherwise were lost due to road accidents. One of the directions was to constitute Road Safety Fund for taking time a bound action to reduce road accidents. Accordingly, Punjab Road Safety Fund draft Rules, 2016 have been made by the State Transport Department.
As sequel to the Chief Minister’s recent visit to the border areas from 1st to 3 rd October, 2016, the Cabinet also approved several demands of the local residents; to open four new veterinary dispensaries in village Bharyal (Gurdaspur), Khalara, Chhina Bidi Chand and Maidipur (Tarn Taran) for giving impetus to the animal husbandry sector.
In a bid to provide the best healthcare facilities to the residents of border areas, the Cabinet also approved the setting up three Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in village Bharyal (Gurdaspur), Chhina Bidi Chand (Tarn Taran) and Dhariwal Uddar (Amritsar). The Cabinet also decided to up-grade the Middle School to High in Machiwal (Amritsar), High to Higher Secondary in Maidipur (Tarn Taran) and Middle to High in Margend Pura (Tarn Taran).
Conceding to the other demands of the border residents brought into the notice of the Chief Minister during his recent visit, the Cabinet also sanctioned two boats for district Ferozepur at a cost of Rs. 10 lac, Rs. 30 lac to PSPCL for the erection of Grid Pylons, Rs. 10 lac for stadium and Rs. 3 lac for commemoration gate at village Gonnewal in district Amritsar. Apart from these, the Cabinet also gave approval for special provision of employment opportunities for unemployed youth on the zero line, issuing Release Orders (ROs) for lifting paddy on priority basis in Border Districts by Department Food and Civil Supplies and construction of bridges at various places near Zero Line area in border districts.
The regularization of various categories of employees was also considered by the Cabinet after due deliberations and a committee under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister comprising Finance Minister, Industries & Commerce Minister, Local Government Minister, Education Minister and Health Minister was formed to further look into various aspects and make recommendation in this regard in the next Cabinet meeting.
The Cabinet also decided that all the Ministers would be touring extensively various mandis to ensure smooth and hassle free procurement of paddy across the state.
In another significant decision, the cabinet also gave green signal to the policy for disposal of apartments/plots for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in the Municipal areas of the state. The said policy has been prepared on the pattern of policy of the Housing & Urban Development department for allotment of these apartments/plots to the eligible persons.
