Punjab Government has decided to restore the 14 percent reservation to the Scheduled Caste (SC) employees in Group-A and Group-B, besides 20 per cent reservation in Group-C and Group-D services for filling up the vacancies by promotion.
The proposal, mooted by the Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Department, was approved by the State Cabinet on Monday, authorizing the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to approve the final draft of the ordinance in this regard.
The reservation would also be applicable to proforma promotion and appointment by transfer to the SC employees.
Pertinently, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in its judgment dated February 20, 2018, had struck down the Section 4(3), 4(4) and 4(8) of ‘The Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006’.
Spokesperson said that the earlier Act was based upon incorrect data, which now had been corrected after collecting it from all the departments, PSUs, etc. After the analysis of the data, this reservation has been proposed, the spokesperson said adding that the data is based upon fresh exercise conducted by the government based upon the Supreme Court ruling in Nagraj case.
DISTRICT-WISE RESERVATION OF GRAM PANCHAYAT SARPANCH REVERTED
Punjab has decided to revert to district-wise reservation of Sarpanch of Gram Panachayat from its current practice of block-wise reservation. The decision was taken by the cabinet while taking note of the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s observation.
The Cabinet approved the necessary amendment in the Punjab Reservation of Offices and Sarpanches of Gram Panchayats and chairman and vice chairmen of Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads Rules, 1994, to make the rotation process of Sarpanch in conformity with section 12(4) of Panchayati Raj Act.
The move will also enable effective implementation of the government’s historic decision of June 2017 to enhance women’s reservation from 33 to 50 percent by amending Section 12 of the Panchayati Raj Act.
As per the amendments, district-wise rotation of reservation of Sarpanch of Gram Panchayats shall be made by Deputy Commissioner in accordance with the provision of the Act and amended rules. Approving the principle of rotation, reservation in the roaster will begin from first non-reserved panchayat in order of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Caste Women and Women. The remaining panchayats shall be unreserved.
The Cabinet also approved the reduction of time limit required to seek objections to draft rules from the general public to 15 days from earlier limit of 30 days.
40 ACRES AllOTTED FOR WORlD-ClASS TECHNOlOGY UNIVERSITY AT MOHAlI IT CITY
To setup a world-class technology university which would offer degrees in IT or computer components, Punjab Cabinet has approved allotment of another site of 40 acres in SAS Nagar (Mohali) IT City.
To ensure transparency and fairness in the allotment process, proposal shall be called from the open market by providing wide publicity, whereby the applicants may pay as per the policy for allotment of land to University.
Such proposals shall be scrutinized meticulously, as per the laid down procedure in the referred Policy, by adequately incorporating or amending members from concerned departments in the scrutiny committee, and the technically most sound institutions would be brought to IT City, an official spokesperson disclosed after the Cabinet meeting.
25 ACRES lAND IN FEROZEPUR TO BE TRANSFERRED TO GOI FOR 100-BED PGIMER SATEllITE CENTRE
To provide better health and diagnostic facilities to people in the border areas, Punjab Cabinet has approved transfer of 25 acres of land at Ferozerpur to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for setting up a 100-bedded PGIMER Satellite Centre.
To address the issue of referrals, the proposal for the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Satellite Centre was placed before the Governing Body of the institute on June 28, 2018, which was approved and decided that a Detailed Investment Board (DIB) of the project be prepared and submitted at the earliest to the Central Government so that some of the urgent medical services could be made functional at this Centre.
District Administration had identified a new site for the project adjoining Circuit House on Ferozepur-Chandigarh Highway, which belongs to the Horticulture Department.
PADDY STRAW CHAllENGE FUND TERMS-CONDITIONS SIMPlIFIED
Punjab Government has decided to ease and simplify the terms and conditions of the Paddy Straw Challenge Fund — started to find a viable technological solution to combat the menace of paddy straw burning.
Agreeing to revise the terms and conditions of the Paddy Straw Challenge Fund based on the suggestion from the Punjab State Farmers’ and Farm Workers’ Commission and Punjab Agricultural University, the Cabinet took the decision so that larger number of institutions or individuals, offering different technological solutions, could participate in the contest.
The move would not only help retain the fertility of the soil but also make environment pollution free, said the spokesperson.
Notably, the State Government had notified establishment of Paddy Straw Challenge Fund for accelerating in-situ degradation of Paddy Straw in September 2017.
The one Million US dollar fund, set up by the Punjab State Farmers' and Farm Workers' Commission, is aimed at seeking appropriate technology, for rapid in-situ management of paddy straw in the field, from a universal set of innovators represented by private/public agencies or individuals.
