To ensure uninterrupted supply of potable water in the villages, the Cabinet has approved a one-time settlement (OTS) for clearing pending arrears of the Rural Water Supply Schemes (RWS) in the State, paving way for the Finance Department to release funds to the tune of Rs 298.61 crore for the same.
“The one-time payment and settlement of bills would be subject to certain conditions. Gram Panchayat Water Supply and Sanitation Committee (GPWSC) would have to submit an undertaking that in future, it would collect user charges and pay its bills regularly,” said the spokesperson.
Spokesperson said that in case any embezzlement and collection or retention of user charges comes to notice, legal action will be taken in accordance with law and any recoveries made in pursuance of the legal action would be deposited in the state treasury.
The rural potable water supply was earlier badly affected due to non-payment of electricity dues following frequent disconnection of power supply, which adversely hampered the functioning of the various water supply schemes in rural areas.
Consequently, the Water Supply and Sanitation Department (DWSS) referred the matter to PSPCL for waiver of interest and penalty on pending amount of arrear of Rs 690 crore in respect of Rural Water Supply Schemes managed by DWSS.
Meanwhile, the PSPCL and Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission accepted the plea of the Department and issued a waiver order of Rs 198.21 crore, for both rural water supply schemes managed by DWWS and GPWSC.
The Finance Department had, in fact, already issued directions to Rural Development and Panchayat Department to clear Rs 193.18 crore in respect of RWS managed by GPWSC out of 13th Finance Commission grant or One Time grant from Rural Development Fund.
WAIVER OF PVT MARKET YARD REQUIREMENT FOR AVAILING EXEMPTION OVER MSP OKAYED
To promote ease of doing business in Punjab to boost its industrial development besides incentivising direct purchase of farmers’ produce by food processing units, Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday decided to waive off setting up of private market yard for availing exemption from payment of two percent over and above the MSP (minimum support price).
Spokesperson, after the meeting, said that the decision to amend Clause 10.11.3 of the Industrial and Business Development Policy – 2017 will further incentivise the direct purchase of farmers’ produce by food processing units.
The anchor units were extended the incentive from the condition of the license issued by P unjab Agriculture Marketing Board (PAMB) for setting up private market yard from payment of two percent over MSP by adding Clause 10.11.3, which was notified in August last year.
The Cabinet has also approved amendment to Clause 6.14.2 to extend the setting up of Medium Small Enterprises (MSEs) Facilitation Councils in all the districts across the state. Currently, they exist in only seven districts — Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, SAS Nagar, Patiala, Bathinda and Sangrur.
The Councils will be headed by the respective district Deputy Commissioner, who would be designated ‘Director’ for providing effective services to MSE units at district level under the amended Clause.
In another decision, the Cabinet also approved amendments to the Fiscal Incentives for Industrial Promotion (R) 2013, including amendments to chapter 2 of the procedure for availing fiscal incentives under FIIP (R) 2013 in inconsistence with the procedure of availing fiscal incentive under the Industrial and Business Development Policy 2017 notified on October 17, 2017.
Under the new procedure, all the incentives — that is incentive of VAT/SGST, exemption of stamp duty, electricity duty, property tax and market fee etc — would be made available through the online portals — www.pbindustries.gov.in or www.investpunjab.gov.in.
CABINET APPROVES 4-YEAR STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS
Punjab Cabinet gave in-principle approval for a four-year strategic action plan (4SAP) – 2019 to 2023, to set Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the departments of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Water Supply and Sanitation, PWD (B & R) and School Education.
The action plan will also set the key performance parameters for Government officials to enable integration of the Departments into the development process of the State. It was also decided to approve their integration into the State Budgetary process.
Spokesperson said that these key parameters were in line with the United Nations 2030 Development agenda, which contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), comprehensively covering social, economic and environmental dimensions.
PUNJAB RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES RULES 2019 APPROVED
The Cabinet has also approved enactment of ‘The Punjab Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules 2019’ under Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act-2016, in order to respect dignity, and ensure effective participation of persons with disabilities in the mainstream of society.
Notably, ‘The Punjab Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules 2019’ are being framed under Government of India’s ‘The Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016’ as India is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Right of Persons with Disabilities of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan).
India notified ‘The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016’ on December 28, 2016, replacing the ‘Persons with Disabilities Act 1995’. The new Act came into force w.e.f. April 19, 2017 across the country
NEW POSTS SANCTIONED, REGULARISED OTHERS IN VARIOUS COLLEGES, FOREST DEPT
In a series of other important decisions, the Punjab Cabinet sanctioned several new teaching and non-teaching posts and regularized services for others in various state colleges.
The cabinet sanctioned recruitment for 228 posts, including 88 teaching and 140 non-teaching posts, for the newly established College of Veterinary Sciences at Rampura Phul. Of these, 70 vacancies would be filled up this year itself. These would include 32 teaching and 38 non-teaching posts.
The move would help in providing better Animal Health Care services in the state, which would further enhance milk production, besides encouraging livestock owners to improve breed of their milch cattle, said spokesperson.
The Cabinet also regularised the services of 127 assistant professors, working in Government Aided Colleges, who have completed three years of service.
The decision, involving an additional burden of over Rs 4.38 crores annually, would help in enhancing the standards of higher education in the grant-in-aid colleges in the state.
Of the total 1925 vacant posts of Assistant Professors in Grant-in-Aid Colleges, 1332 have been filled, out of which these 127 completed three years in September 2018. The Colleges will be required to complete the whole process of regularisation at their own level. In another decision, Cabinet gave the nod to regularise services of three Forest Department employees currently working on contract basis as Surveyors (Social Mapper) in pursuance of the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the pattern of 28 employees regularized earlier.
PUNJAB TO INCENTIVISE LOCAL MANUFACTURERS’ PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT, BOOST TO ‘MAKE IN PUNJAB’
Giving a major impetus to manufacturing in the State, the Punjab Cabinet approved the Public Procurement Preference to Make in (Punjab) Order 2019 aiming at incentivising local manufacturers to participate in public procurement.
The move, expected to enhance income and employment generation in the State, is in line with the State Government’s focus on promoting ‘Make in Punjab’ as a key component of its industrial development focus.
PUNJAB CUTS DOWN EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT FOR PROMOTION ACROSS CADRES
Punjab Cabinet has approved amendment to the service rules to cut down on the experience requirement for promotion across various cadres.
The amendment, in line with the announcement by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh in Vidhan Sabha on February 20, 2019, will help fill the vacant posts of higher cadres.
As per the decision, there would be no reduction in experience if requisite qualifying service is two years or less.
Reduction of one year would be permissible in case the requisite qualifying service is more than two years but less than five years.
In case where the requisite qualifying service is seven years or more.
The reduction will be two years, while for qualifying service of 10 years or more, it would be three years, an official spokesperson disclosed after the cabinet meeting.
ENTRY TICKETS FOR GOBINDGARH FORT MUSEUMS
The museums at the Gobindgarh Fort, Amritsar, will now have fixed rate entry tickets to meet their operational, maintenance and upkeep expenses, exempting children under five.
Cabinet has approved the proposal mooted by the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department to fix entry ticket of museums for different categories, and depositing the collected amount with the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board to utilise it for operations, maintenance, upkeep and management of the museums.
In case, the amount collected from entry tickets is not sufficient, the gap would be met from the Department’s budgetary grant.
The Department has fixed Rs 30 as entry ticket for adults, Rs 20 for students or children up to 18 years, Rs 20 for senior citizens (above 60 years), Rs 20 for defence personnel, and Rs 20 for physically challenged persons.
The rates of ticket for entry to these museums, namely ‘The Arms Museum’ and ‘Coins Museum’, would be revised annually by Punjab Heritage Tourism Promotion Board after approval by the state Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister, subject to a maximum increase of Rs five per ticket.
The Gobindgarh Fort was initially constructed by Bhangi Misl rulers, one of the 12 Sikh Misls, in 1760. In 1825, Maharaja Ranjit Singh conquered the fort, which remained under his occupation, control or possession till the British took over in 1845. The Maharaja named the fort as Qila Gobindgarh after the 10th Sikh Master Guru Gobind Singh.
In 1948, Gobindgarh Fort was taken over by the Indian Army. It was handed over to the Government of Punjab by the Government of India on December 20, 2006. Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board has been entrusted with the responsibility of conservation of the fort and its adaptive re-use.