Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday gave a nod for increasing women reservation in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban local Bodies (UlBs) from 33 to 50 per cent — fulfilling its another key poll promise.
The decision, to amend the required Acts to enhance the reservation for the fair sex, was taken by the Council of Ministers in a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday.
The draft bill to amend the Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, and the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, will be placed in the Punjab Assembly session, commencing from Wednesday.
The amendment will help empower women in the rural areas by enhancing the reservation in the direct elections for the members of gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads, besides municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats.
The representation of women in the offices of sarpanches of gram panchayats, chairmen panchayats samitis or zila parishads, besides mayors of municipal corporations and presidents of municipal councils or nagar panchayats will also be enhanced accordingly.
The Cabinet also decided to exempt the mega food parks, being set up in the state, from the provisions of Section 44(2) of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 1995 (PAPRA) to boost the development of food processing industry, especially the mega food park projects. Besides, the move is also expected to secure employment for the unemployed youth. The decision will exclude future projects from the requirement of taking a license under PAPRA.
To ensure fiscal management in view of financial constraint, the Cabinet also decided to seek Centre’s approval to swap high-cost market loans taken by the state government with new low-cost market loans.
“The decision will go a long way in improving the financial position, besides providing better opportunities to incur expenditure on development works in the state,” said the government spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet also gave the nod for the Khalsa University (Repeal) Ordinance, 2017, to be presented in the House for enactment. The decision has been taken to preserve the glorious heritage and rich legacy of over a century old prestigious Khalsa College.
Punjab Government in April had decided to scrap the Khalsa University Act, 2016, to “save the historic 125-year-old Khalsa College from losing its heritage status”. Khalsa University, Amritsar, was established by the Khalsa University Act, 2016, by the previous SAD-BJP alliance Government.