With the state assembly polls less than two months away and loads of promises to fulfil, Congress-led Punjab Government on Tuesday decided to regularise the services of as many as 36,000 employees working on contract, ad-hoc, work charged, daily wages and temporary basis. In addition, the State Cabinet has also approved a mining policy to reduce the sand rates from Rs nine per cubic feet to Rs 5.50 per cubic feet besides taking the brick-kilns out of its purview.
That was not all! The government has also decided to enhance the minimum wages of the unskilled workers by Rs 415.89 with effect from March 1, 2020.
To implement all these decisions, the Government is set to table all the related bills in the Vidhan Sabha during the ongoing special session on November 11 (Thursday). Besides, a bill to re-determine the power prices with two private thermal plants — Nabha Power Limited and Talwandi Sabo Power Limited — will also be tabled in the assembly.
As per the Cabinet decision, a nod was given to ‘The Punjab Protection and Regularization of Contractual Employees Bill-2021’ which will be introduced in the forthcoming session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha for enactment.
“With this decision, the services of nearly 36,000 employees, with more than 10 years service, would be regularized. Likewise, the Cabinet also gave approval for the extra creation of deemed posts,” said a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office.
Spokesperson said that the provisions of reservation policy would be followed during the regularization process of these employees. However, this decision of regularization would not be a binding on the boards and corporations.
ENHANCES MINIMUM WAGES OF SKILLED WORKERS TO Rs 9192.72
The Cabinet also approved the enhancement of minimum wages with effect from March 1, 2020, and September 1, 2020, as per the provisions of ‘The Minimum Wages Act, 1948’ and revision of wages from March 1, 2020 and September 1, 2020 after the decision of the Punjab Minimum Wages Advisory Board constituted under the provisions of the said Act.
APPROVES PUNJAB ENERGY SECURITY, TERMINATION OF PPAs AND REDETERMINATION OF POWER TARIFF BILL, 2021
The Cabinet also accorded approval to the Punjab Energy Security, Termination of PPAs and Redetermination of Power Tariff Bill-2021 to be placed in the current session of Vidhan Sabha. With the passing of this Bill by Vidhan Sabha, Power Purchase Agreements with M/s Nabha Power Limited and Talwandi Sabo Power Limited shall stand referred to PSERC for re-determination of tariff.
OKAYS PUNJAB RENEWABLE ENERGY SECURITY, REFORM, TERMINATION AND RE-DETERMINATION OF POWER TARIFF BILL, 2021
To enable the State Government to evolve statutory measures for sustained development of electricity sector in the State and to make available the electricity to the consumers at an economical, affordable and sustained basis, the Cabinet also gave a go ahead to the Punjab Renewable Energy Security, Reform, Termination and Re-determination of Power Tariff Bill, 2021 to be placed in the ongoing session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
REPEALS PUNJAB CONTRACT FARMING ACT-2013 REPEALED
Keeping in view the dilemma or fear in the minds of the state’s producers or farmers due to strict provisions incorporated in the Punjab Contract Farming Act-2013 like imprisonment, monetary penalties and other rigorous punishments, the Punjab Cabinet decided to repeal the aforesaid Act in the larger interest of Punjab farmers.
AMENDS PUNJAB AGRI PRODUCE MARKETS ACT-1961
To ensure an effective ecosystem and restore agricultural safeguards besides protecting the interests of farmers, farm labourers, and those engaged in ancillary and incidental activities, the Cabinet also gave approval to amend Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act-1961 to revoke the anti-farmer provisions.
APPROVES AMENDMENT IN PUNJAB FRUIT NURSERIES ACT-1961
The Cabinet also approved to introduce the ‘Punjab Horticulture Nursery Bill-2021’ in Vidhan Sabha Session by amending ‘Punjab Fruit Nurseries Act-1961’. The amended Act is necessitated in view of drastic changes in the new technologies like IT, GPS tagging, traceability etc, and these developments are essentially to be made part of this Act. The earlier Act of 1961 covered only the fruit plants, with the new amendments the vegetables’ planting material would also be brought under the regulatory ambit with the proposed changes.
REPEALS PUNJAB (INSTITUTIONS AND OTHER BUILDINGS) TAX ACT-2011
Giving a relief of Rs 250 crore to the beneficiaries, the State Cabinet approved ‘The Punjab (Institutional and Other Building) Tax Repeal Bill, 2021’ to be introduced in the current session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha to waive off unpaid dues in all cases.
APPROVES MODALITIES FOR AYUSHMAN BHARAT
In a move to benefit Punjab’s nearly 61 lakh families, the Cabinet also accorded approval to the universalization of Ayushman Bharat – Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana, under which the entire population of Punjab would be provided an insurance cover of Rs five lakhs per family per year, except for State and Central Government employees and pensioners. The registration of the other left-out families shall be carried out on Aadhaar-based authentication, and the enrolment forms shall be available at empanelled hospitals, Common Service Centers (CSCS) and Suvidha Kendras, where the facility of e-card issuance is available through BIS portal.
OTS OF NON-COMPOUNDABLE VIOLATIONS IN BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED IN VIOLATION OF BUILDING BYELAWS IN MUNICIPAL AREAS
The Cabinet also gave nod to promulgate ‘The Punjab One-Time Voluntary Disclosure and Settlement of Violations of the Buildings Bill, 2021’ for all unauthorized constructions, which have come up till September 30, 2021.
The move is aimed at providing a one-time opportunity to the violators within the Municipal areas who have made non-compoundable violations in the buildings for regularization without compromising on public safety or security and convenience. However, the compounding fee has also been reduced by 25 percent.