The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine led Punjab Government is doling out sops, literally, from all hands ahead the crucial State Assembly polls.
It not only regularised over 27,000 ad-hoc or contractual employees by passing a Bill during the specially-convened one-day Vidhan Sabha session on Monday, but the Council of Ministers too decided to enhance monthly honorarium of Mid-Day Meal workers by Rs 500 benefitting nearly 42,000 of them, among other significant decisions.
The ruling alliance, it seems, is in no mood to waste even a nano second to realise its dream of scoring a hat-trick in the State which is set to witness a four-sided triangular ballot battle. Punjab is scheduled to go for polls January-February, next year, and the Election Commission can announce polls any day imposing the model code of conduct in the State.
Almost every day, the State Government is launching a big-ticket project, inaugurating a new building or venture, laying foundation stones, distributing gifts, or announcing policy decisions in a rush — apparently with an eye on 2017 polls.
Its haste can be gauged from the fact that the State Cabinet has conducted its three back-to-back meetings in last three working days to announce several poll sops.
Going overboard, the State Government has convened a day’s session, that conducted business for mere 40 minutes passing nine important Bills, without any discussion. Taking advantage of the “no opposition”, the Government decided to change some of its ordinances into Bills, after Governor VP Badnore refused to sign it citing some irregularities, and passing the same in the Assembly.
The repeated pleas or strong persuasion by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and his team to give his approval to the ordinances, including the one related to employees’ regularisation, had failed to find favour with Badnore, who, instead, suggested the Government to opt for legislation route — pushing the Cabinet to call a day’s session.
It has been learnt that the State Government had sent a total of five ordinances to the Governor, including employees’ regularisation, changing terms and conditions for appointing Punjab School Education Board chairman, creating additional posts of senior vice-chairman and vice-chairman in Women Commission and Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, among others.
Besides, the Government also smooth the path for rewarding the loyalists or rebels with various posts of boards and commissions by creating additional posts in the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Punjab School Education Board (amendment) Bill, 2016, The Punjab Bhagwan Valmik Ji Tirath Sthal (Ram Tirath) Shrine Board Bill, 2016, The Punjab State Commission for Women (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, and The Punjab State Commission for Minorities (Third Amendment) Bill, 2016.
In another major move, the Assembly has also passed a Bill to regulate of fees of State’s unaided educational institutions saving the parents and their wards from harassment by the hands of these institutes charging exorbitant fees.
9 BIllS PASSED IN 40 MINS
Expecting the imposition of election code of conduct anytime in State, the SAD-BJP combine on Monday pushed the passing of nine important legislations during the specially-convened one day Vidhan Sabha session.
The important bills, related to the regularising contract or ad-hoc employees, setting up regulatory authority for private educational institutions, setting up of another private university, among others, were “unanimously” passed in just 35 minutes, without any discussions in the absence of the entire opposition.
The passing of bills was a mere formality with the members not even caring to say “ayes”, while busy in their personal talks.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was conspicuous by his absence from the House, while his Deputy Chief Minister son Sukhbir Badal was present during the passing of the bills.
Opposition legislators, including 42 from the Congress and three independents, have resigned from their membership in the wake of adverse decision by the Apex Court in the Sutlej-Yamuna link (SYl) canal matter.
On one hand, where the ruling combine is eyeing to woo the huge employees’ base by regularising them, the State Government, on the other hand, is making an apparent attempt to please its loyalists with the newly-created posts of senior vice-chairman and vice-chairman in some boards and commissions by passing bills in this regard.
The bills passed by the Assembly include: The Punjab Ad-hoc, Contractual, Daily Wage, Temporary, Work Charged and Outsourced Employees’ Welfare Bill, 2016; Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Amendment) Bill, 2016; CT University Bill, 2016; The Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institution Bill, 2016; The Punjab School Education Board (Amendment) Bill, 2016; The Punjab Bhagwan Valmik Ji Tirath Sthal (Ram Tirath) Shrine Board Bill, 2016; The Punjab State Commission for Women (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016; The Punjab Allotment of State Government land Bill, 2016; and The Punjab State Commission for Minorities (Third Amendment) Bill, 2016.
EMPlOYEES’ WElFARE BIll
The passing of the Punjab Ad-hoc, Contractual, Daily Wage, Temporary, Work-Charged and Outsourced Employees' Welfare Bill, 2016, will put an additional financial burden of Rs 2,438 crore on the state exchequer.
The Bill, introduced by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal, would have an annual financial implication of about Rs 583 crore. The total liability for the first three years would be around Rs 1,749 crore on account of regularising the services, read the Bill.
As per the Bill, after three years, these employees
would be given the regular pay scale, and the annual liability in the first year would be Rs 2,438 crore.
Taking an annual growth in the salary expenditure of 10 per cent, the annual financial implications at the end of five years would be Rs 3,600 crore, stated the Bill.
Describing the Bill as ‘historic’, Mittal did not let go any chance to take on the “empty” opposition benches for not attending the session “showing that they are against the employees’ welfare”.
“It is sad that the opposition MlAs stayed away from the House,” said Mittal while accusing the Congress-led government during 2002-2007 of “not recruiting a single person during its tenure”.
REGUlATION OF FEE AT Pvt EDUCATION INSTITUTES
Punjab Assembly gave its nod to ‘The Punjab Regulation of Fees of Unaided Education Institutions Bill, 2016’, to curb the practice of excessive charges at private schools. The decision was taken in view of the proposal mooted by the education department to constitute a regulatory authority or mechanism for the purpose of regulating fees of unaided schools in the state.
HOUSE REMEMBERED AMMA
Punjab Vidhan Sabha, at its onset, paid tributes to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, former minister Avtar Singh Brar, former minister Devinder Singh Bajwa, martyr Hawaldar Sukhraj Singh, and eight freedom fighters. The House held two minutes silence in remembrance of the 12 persons who have left for their heavenly abode between the period from the last sitting of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to this present sitting.