In the run up to 2022 Assembly polls, Punjab Cabinet on Thursday took a slew of significant decisions, including allowing excavation of brick earth or ordinary earth from area up to two acres and depth up to three feet as non-mining activity; extending benefit of reduced tariff from November 2021, instead of December; regularizing services of safai sewaks and sewermen working on contract basis in ULBs among others.
The Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, declared the activity of excavation of brick earth or ordinary earth from an area up to two acres and depth up to three feet as non mining activity.
With this, the brick kiln owners shall apply for license as per Form ‘A’ and obtain the license in Form ‘B’ for the purpose. “Whereas, the excavation is done beyond above specified limits, the case would be dealt with the prescribed Punjab Minor Mineral Rules (PMMR), 2013, as well as prevailing guidelines. This will ease the process to operationalize the brick kilns besides ensuring the uninterrupted supply of bricks to the consumers at affordable price,” said a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office.
Notably, various representations have been received from the state’s brick kiln owners for declaring the excavation of brick earth as non mining activity. The brick kiln owners, in the representations, have highlighted the field problems — like obtaining Environment Clearance is a time-consuming process, land owners do not allow their land for excavation of earth from their fields for long term as they have to sow the crops in the fields, and the work of brick kiln is operative for six months only during the year.
BENEFIT OF REDUCED POWER TARIFF FROM NOV 1
In another decision, the Cabinet also decided to give huge relief to the state’s domestic electricity consumers having sanctioned load up to seven KW by reducing electricity tariff rates by Rs three per unit, with effect from November 1, 2021, instead of earlier December 1, 2021. The decision would involve an annual financial burden of Rs 151 crore on the state exchequer, benefitting nearly 69 lakh out of 71.75 lakh domestic consumers with the reduced tariff.
REGULARISES SERVICES OF 4587 CONTRACTUAL SAFAI SEWAKS, SEWERMEN
Benefitting as many as 4587 employees, the Cabinet also gave approval to regularize the services of those safai sewaks and sewermen, who were working on contract basis in the Urban Local Bodies before the Cabinet’s June 18, 2021 decision. Notably, with the regularization of services of these employees, the additional annual financial burden during the first three years of probation would be approximately Rs 46 crore. After the probation period, annual increment and other allowances would be paid, and the additional financial burden would be borne by the Urban Local Bodies.
ALLOWS REGULARIZATION OF STANDALONE BUILDINGS WITH FEE
The Cabinet also allowed regularization of standalone buildings — educational, medical, commercial, farm houses, religious, social, charitable institute — which were constructed without prior permission of the state Housing and Urban Development Department outside municipal limits, urban estates, and industrial focal points on “as is where is basis” by taking regularization fee. The applications can be submitted for the said purpose till December 31, 2022, by paying the requisite fee which has been now reduced drastically.
DIRECTIONS TO AMEND SERVICE RULES MAKING PUNJABI MANDATORY FOR DIRECT RECRUITMENT
To promote Punjabi language across the state, the Cabinet has decided to implement the requisite qualification of Punjabi language for direct recruitment in the boards, corporations, commissions, authorities, parastatals etc along with all the departments in the letter and spirit. The Cabinet also directed all the departments, boards, corporations, authorities, parastatals etc to immediately amend its service rules so as to make provision of knowledge of Punjabi language compulsory under section 17 of the Punjab Civil Services (General and Common Conditions of Service) Rules, 1994.
WAIVES ARREARS OF Rs 500 CR OUTSTANDING WATER BILLS
To extend a major relief to the people across the state, the Cabinet also decided to waive the arrears of outstanding water bills worth Rs 500 crore. As per the decision, the amount of arrears waived of water bill of rural consumers of schemes run by the Water Supply and Sanitation Department is Rs 256.97 crore. Apart from this, Rs 17.98 crore has been waived for schemes run by the Department in urban areas. Also, the amount waived for the schemes, run by the Gram Panchayats or Committees, amounts to Rs 224.55 crore. Notably, the Water Supply and Sanitation Department is providing potable water to the people in the rural areas of Punjab and in selected cities of Sri Muktsar Sahib, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib, Faridkot, and Civil Station Bathinda.
APPROVES ENHANCED RELIEF of Rs 17k PER ACRE FOR COTTON GROWERS
In a relief to the cotton growers across the state, the Cabinet also accorded approval to extend the value of relief for 76-100 percent loss of cotton crop — adding a value of Rs 5000 per acre to the current value of Rs 12,000 per acre, making it to Rs 17,000 per acre. By taking this measure, the affected farmers would be able to get a reasonable financial relief from the government. These relief rates will be effective from June 1, 2021. Notably, a relief worth Rs 416 crore has been provided to the farmers affected by the damage caused to the cotton crop by the pink bollworm (pest attack).
UNAUTHORIZED COLONIES, PLOTS TO BE REGULARISED
To regularise unauthorized colonies and plots of those colonies, which were made in violation of Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation (PAPR) Act, 1995, the Cabinet decided to introduce a rule under section 38(2) prescribing conditions and restrictions for compounding of offence under the said Act.
Notably, timeline was fixed for these Acts and Policies under these Acts to regularise colonies and plots of these colonies. After expiry of these acts and policies under the Act, the Housing and Urban Development Department proposes to insert rule no 31 in the PAPR, 1995, prescribing procedure and conditions and restrictions for compounding of an offense under section 38(2) of said Act.