Trotting towards its own race course, Punjab Government is gearing up to fill its ‘empty’ coffers with the money you put on race horses.
Meeting for the second time this week, the Punjab Cabinet on Friday gave its nod to the Punjab Horse Race (Regulation and Management) Bill, 2013, to be tabled in coming session of State Assembly, starting Monday.
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s gamble with the idea of setting up casino in the State may not have paid off. But soon, you may find yourself laying a wager on horses once the Bill receives Vidhan Sabha’s nod. The move is expected to generate revenue to save state’s beleaguered economy.
The Bill provides setting up, managing and operating race courses along with betting activities and intermediaries involved for licensing, regulation, control and management of horse races, on race courses. A racecourse in ludhiana was mulled some two-year ago.
The Bill also provides stipulations for maintaining and keeping of horses, betting activities, exhibition of horses and other processes of horse race and all matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.
After contributing crores towards state’s empty treasury by selling liquor and imposing tax on cigarettes, and tobacco products, the state is now gearing up to promote gambling. Punjab government is something around Rs 4000 crores from liquor, and Rs 50 crores from the tax on cigarettes, and tobacco products.
ENHANCES REGISTRATION FEES FOR lABOUR lICENcE
Cabinet approved enhancement of fees for registration as well as for getting license under the Contract labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970. Now, the minimum fee for registration of 20 workers would be Rs 600 instead of
Rs 200, whereas maximum fees for establishments employing more than 400 workers would be Rs 15,000 instead of Rs 5.000.
Similarly, minimum fees for seeking license would be Rs 150 against Rs 50 for 20 workers and maximum for more than 400 workers would be
Rs 4,500 instead of existing Rs 1500.
Farmers facilitated to mortgage land for raising loans
To facilitate farmers for hassle-free mortgaging land for raising loans via banks, the Cabinet approved amendments in the Punjab Agricultural Credit Operations and Miscellaneous Provisions (Banks) Act, 1978.
It was decided that mortgage registration would be done by banks itself eliminating one major step of first selling it, registered it with the Sub-Registrar and then approaching the bank for loan. The charge created by the bank would itself be deemed registration under the Registration Act. Cabinet also decided to waive off Rs 100 penalty fee per registration.
Pilot project for collection of user charges
Cabinet approved pilot project for collection of water supply, sewerage and municipal solid waste user charges along with electricity bills through Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl) in state’s urban local Bodies to be initially implemented in three cities — Nawanshahr, Faridkot and Amritsar — with an objective to improve financial health of urban local bodies (UlBs).
Approves transparent policy for leasing out shamlaat land
Cabinet gave approval to formulate a transparent policy for leasing out Shamlaat land for a period up to 33 years for industrial, commercial, educational or professional purposes with prior approval of state government under rules 6 (3) and 12 A (b) of the Punjab Village Common lands (Regulation) Rules 1964.