Come January 1, Punjab’s all elected representatives, both of the Vidhan Sabha and the Parliament, would have to make public their assets every year.
The decision to this effect was taken at the State Cabinet meeting on Friday evening, headed by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, along with slew of significant decisions including slashing stamp duty on urban property registration by three per cent, approving new marriage palace policy, establishing ‘Directorate of Fire Services’ and new ‘Directorate of Ground Water Management’, among others.
The Cabinet also gave its nod to the Punjab State Council for Agricultural Education, and Punjab State Farmers and Farm labourers Commission Act-2017, besides creating a ‘Climate Challenge Fund’ to check stubble burning.
Aiming at bringing total transparency in the governance, the Cabinet decided to make it mandatory for all MlAs and MPs from Punjab to declare their immovable properties on January 1 every year, with the exception of the current year, when the declarations are required to be filed by September 30.
The decision will be implemented as the Cabinet gave its approval to amend ‘The Punjab legislative Assembly (Salaries and Allowance of Member) Act, 1942’ immediately after the amendment.
DIRECTORATE OF FIRE SERVICES TO BE SETUP
To providing facilities of fire services at the grass roots level effectively, Cabinet has given a green signal to establish a Directorate of Fire Services to regulate and control 34 offices of fire brigades already established in 10 Municipal Corporation towns and 155 other Urban local Bodies across the state. The Directorate will ensure availability and delivery of professional fire services by taking into special consideration the needs of high rise buildings, multiplexes, malls and industrial units involving dangerous operations.
PUNJAB STATE COUNCIl FOR AGRICUlTURAl EDUCATION
Cabinet has approved to set up Punjab State Council for Agricultural Education to promote agricultural education in the state. The Council would be set up by bringing an Ordinance — Punjab State Council for Agricultural Education Ordinance 2017 — aimed at promoting and coordinating agricultural education in various colleges and institutes in the state.
PUNJAB STATE FARMERS AND FARM lABOURERS COMMISSION ACT-2017
Aimed at granting legal rights to the farmers, the Cabinet has given its go ahead to enact the ‘Punjab State Farmers Commission Act-2017’, through an Ordinance, to empower and safeguard the interests of the farming community. The five-member commission, with nominated chairperson, member secretary, Punjab Agriculture University VC, GADVASU VC and ACS (Development) or FCD, will have the powers to frame agriculture policy and other matters referred to by the government. The Commission will have a corpus fund of Rs 25 crore initially and Rs five crore for next five years grant to be given by the state government, and would be mandated to submit its report to be tabled in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
ClIMATE CHAllENGE FUND TO BE CREATED
Aimed at tackling the problem of burning of crop residues across the state, Cabinet has approved to create a ‘Climate Challenge Fund’ to help the state in creating awareness amongst the farmers about harmful effects of crop residues burning. The Cabinet also agreed in principle to create a fund of Rs one crore for giving incentives to those farmers adopting mechanical solutions to deal with crop residues.
DIRECTORATE OF GROUND WATER MANAGEMENT'
Cabinet has also decided to create a ‘Directorate of Ground Water Management’, under the irrigation wing of the Department of Irrigation and Power, for conservation, utilization and management of the depleting groundwater resources in the state. The existing water resources administration of the Department of Irrigation will be subsumed into the new Directorate.
APPROVES NEW MARRIAGE PAlACE POlICY
Cabinet also approved a new Marriage Palace Policy for regularization of unauthorized marriage palaces, besides granting approval for construction of new marriage palaces across the state. The new policy, replacing the earlier ones framed by the previous SAD-BJP government, is aimed at facilitating construction of new marriage palaces, thereby mitigating the problems faced by owners of marriage palaces, besides ensuring safety and parking facility for the people gathering at such venues. The cabinet decided to condone violations in building bylaws to the extent of 10 per cent.