Punjab Cabinet on Monday opened a new chapter in the education sector by giving its green signal to the Punjab Regulation of Fees of Unaided Educational Institutions Bill, 2014.
The Bill, to be tabled in the coming session of State Assembly starting from March 3, is aimed at regulating the fees of unaided educational institutions in the State thereby helping in checking the excessive fees being charged from the students.
To reap the benefits of the State’s farmers by promoting agriculture diversification program, Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval for the creation of the post of Agriculture Commissioner in the State Agriculture Department.
Cabinet also gave nod for ex-post facto approval to the proposal of enhancing upper age of the Chairman-cum- Managing Director of the Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation limited (PSTCl), from 62 to 65 years.
likewise, the upper age limits of all the Directors of PSPCl and PSTCl has also been enhanced from 62 to 65 years.
To develop the State as an education hub in the region, the Cabinet also gave its nod to draft a Bill for setting up ‘Private Self Financed Rayat Bahara University’.
In a big reprieve to visually handicap persons, the Cabinet gave approval for reviving 167 posts of JBT, ETT teachers and converting them into hobby teachers for clearing backlog of blind category persons, which is one per cent quota under this category.
Giving further relief to the people residing in urban areas besides ensuring smooth collection of property tax in the state, the Cabinet approved to place Bills in the ensuing session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to amend the Punjab Municipal Act 1911 and the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act 1976.
“These amendments stipulate to give 10 per cent rebate on Property Tax deposited up to March 31, 2014, instead of earlier date of December 31, 2013. Similarly, the rate of property tax to be levied on residential properties under rent would be reduced from existing 7.5 to three per cent. likewise, the rate of penalty has also been reduced from 25 to 10 per cent in case of tax deposited after due date of December 31 but before end of financial year,” said the spokesperson.
“Rate of penalty has been reduced from 100 to 20 per cent in case of deposit of tax after expiry of financial year but an interest at the rate of 18 per cent would be charged on the amount from date of end of financial year up to date of actual payment. At places where collector rate has not been fixed separately for industrial value, market value in such cases would be considered as 75 per cent of the commercial collector rates,” he added.
The Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval to the policy of up-gradation of schools to ten plus two level in villages having 5,000 or more population as there was no such school within the radius of five kilometers, to provide easy, affordable and quality education to the students.
Cabinet also decided to grant compensation of `25,000 to acid attack victim immediately on the registration of FIR and `5 lakh in case of death of the victim besides 100 per cent reimbursement of the expenses incurred on treatment of such victims including plastic surgery.
Cabinet also gave a nod for re-fixation of quota in promotion as per cadre strength of lecturers, headmasters and vocational lecturers or masters.
At present 12,642 lecturers, 1,665 headmasters and 1,225 vocational lecturers or masters exit in education department. After thoroughly examining entire matter, it was decided to re-fix quota of posts for promotion as 75 per cent, 15 per cent and 10 per cent in case of lecturers, headmasters and vocational lecturers or headmasters respectively.
Cabinet also given nod to Punjab State Rural Water supply and Sanitation Policy-2013 to streamline and improve system of drinking water supply in the state. Under the policy, the government would ensure provision of good quality potable water supply through piped distribution to all households at affordable price covering entire rural areas by supplying at least 70 litres per capita per day (lpcpd) 24x7, besides 100 per cent safe sanitation facilities avoiding the contamination of ground water.
Cabinet also approved to release `55.50 crore for Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjabi University, Patiala, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, for infrastructure maintenance, besides faculty support in their 19 constituent colleges to ensure access to higher education for youth in the educationally backward districts.
Cabinet also gave nod to introduce a Bill in ensuing Vidhan Sabha session for amending the Punjab Human Smuggling Prohibition Act 2012 and rules made there under. The Act, renamed as
‘Punjab Travel Professional Regulation Act’, has been amended to the effect that in case of suspension of licenses the applications which were under the process would be allowed to be processed.