Punjab’s youth is all set to get smart-phones soon. For, the State Cabinet on Wednesday approved the modalities for the distribution of the smart phones in a phased manner.
Fulfilling its one of major pre-poll promises within two years of taking over the state reins and despite acute financial crunch, the Congress-led Punjab Government maintained that tenders for the same have already been floated.
In the first phase, the graduating students of government schools, colleges and technical institutions would be covered, and the students need to submit self-certification stating that they do not already possess a smart-phone.
The scheme, aimed at giving further impetus to the State Government’s digital empowerment agenda, will provide for distribution of mobile phones with various smart features, such as touch screen, camera and applications to access social media etc.
In addition, one-time bundled 12 GB data and 600 local minutes talk time (voice) with one year validity would also be provided under the scheme.
The vendor to implement the scheme shall be selected through an open transparent bidding process for which the tender document has already been floated by Punjab Information and Communication Technology Corporation. Vendors shall be on board within a period of about two months and the first batch of phones is expected to be distributed in the month of March.
Cabinet also authorised the Chief Minister to finalise the name of the scheme, besides authorising the chairman of the committee for procurement and distribution of smart phones to make changes in the Request For Proposal (RFP) as may be required in the future.
Notably, the Punjab government had announced a scheme named ‘Mobile Phone to the Youth’ in its budget for the financial year 2017-18 with the objective of providing digital access to youth and information regarding education, career opportunities, access to skill development and employment opportunities and basic citizen-centric services through government applications, etc.
This unique initiative would help in connecting in digitally engaging the youth of the state. It would also encourage and incentivise youth to use digital technology in their day-to-day life besides enabling them, among other things, to be a beneficiary and a partner in the government’s efforts to digitise Punjab through the Digital Punjab Initiative.
ACT TO ATTACH, CONFISCATE ECONOMIC OFFENDERS’ PROPERTIES to be REPUBLISHED
Tightening the noose around the absconding economic offenders, Punjab Cabinet gave its nod to republish Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, to attach and confiscate their properties and assets.
Already approved by the Parliament, the Act is aimed at empowering authorities to attach and confiscate properties and assets of the economic offenders, such as loan defaulters, who had fled the country.
With this, the State Government would republish the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, (Act No 17 of 2018) in the State Gazette in larger public interest, said the spokesperson, adding that after Rs 13,000 crore PNB scam by Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, it had become apparent that the existing civil and criminal provisions were not entirely adequate to deal with the severity of the problem.
Spokesperson said that absence of offenders during investigation was creating hurdles for probing agencies, apart from undermining the law of the country.
Notably, the Act came into effect after the President’s assent on July 31, 2018, and was published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary, Part-II, Section on August 1, 2018.
The Act will force the absconders to return to India and face trial for economic offences, which would further help the banks and other financial institutions to achieve higher recovery from such defaulters, besides improving the financial health of these institutions.
The creation of a special forum for speedy confiscation of the proceeds of crime, in India and abroad, would force the fugitive to return to India to submit to the jurisdiction of courts in India to face the law in respect of the scheduled offences.
NEW RULES FOR BACK-END COMPUTERISATION APPROVED
To ensure greater transparency, efficiency and accountability in public services, the Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new set of draft rules under Section 20 of the Punjab Transparency and Accountability in Delivery of Public Service Act, 2018 — framed by the Department of Governance Reforms and Public Grievances.
The rules would help in ensuring back-end computerisation of all public services within three years, besides making mandatory the provision of online receipt of service requests.
Spokesperson said that the rules emphasise on electronic delivery of services to citizens, as far as possible, in a time-bound manner to enhance transparency and accountability, besides inclusion of a healthy system of incentives and disincentives for the public authorities and their staff.
They also provide for intimation or tracking of application status by applicants through mobile phones or internet. A simplified redressal or appeal mechanism, as well as a lean and thin Commission, namely Punjab Transparency and Accountability in Delivery of Public Services Commission, with faster delivery of justice, has also been incorporated to strengthen the provision of the Act in letter and spirit.
Notably, the Punjab Transparency and Accountability in Delivery of Public Service Act, 2018 received the assent of the Punjab Governor on July 12, 2018, and was notified and came into effect on July 17, 2018.