As the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s three agriculture laws completed nine months, Punjab Cabinet on Thursday gave ex-post facto approval for the jobs to 104 legal heirs of farmers or farm labourers who have died during the ongoing agitation at Delhi borders. At the same time, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has also issued directions to the concerned departments to give any further relaxations needed to ensure that the next of kin of all such deceased protestors are provided employment.
The Chief Minister made it clear that he wanted the family members of all Punjab farmers, sacrificing their lives in the stir against the “draconian laws”, to be accommodated in Govt jobs. Earlier, the Cabinet authorized the Chief Minister to make any further changes in rules, while approving relaxations to candidates who were not covered under the Punjab Government policy dated November 21, 2002, relating to compassionate appointments. The said policy is applicable to Government employees and those persons who have died fighting for the security of the nation. The cases of the legal heirs of farmers or farm labourers, who have died during the farmers’ agitation against the farm laws, were not covered by the policy, necessitating approval or relaxation.
With the Cabinet decision, the deceased farmers’ or labourers’ mother, father, married brother, married sister, married daughter, daughter-in-law, grandson, granddaughter, Next of Kin (NoK), etc., as recommended by the concerned Deputy Commissioner, would be eligible for employment as a one-time measure.
Notably, a Committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary Personnel, on the orders of Chief Minister, to consider the issue. Members of the committee included Secretary or Special Secretary (Revenue), Secretary or Additional Secretary or Special Secretary (Agriculture), and Special Secretary or Head of the concerned department in which appointment is to be made against the vacancies.