The state cabinet in its meeting today also approved amendment in the 'Punjab Package Deal Properties (Disposal) Act, 1976' to secure the interest of those farmers who have been in continuous cultivating possession of evacuee land since Kharif 2000.
A spokesperson of Chief Minister's Office said that the amendment, which would be applicable retrospectively, would not only benefit those who were in unauthorised continuous possession of evacuee land but would also safeguard 9,234 occupants in 15 districts who were allotted this land under old policy issued on dated September 26, 2007.
In a big reprieve to pea cultivators, the Cabinet approved to release a sum of Rs 1.56 crore as compensation to farmers in lieu of loss suffered by them due to inferior seeds by the National Seed Corporation (NSC).
"This decision would benefit as many as 937 pea cultivators of the state, who had incurred huge loss due to supply of 73020 kg of spurious pea seed by NSC, after revealed in a special survey conducted by the Revenue Department," he said.
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As per report 1,625.85 acres of pea crop has been perished due to supply of sub standard pea seeds, he said.
The Ordinance envisages for imposing tax on goods brought in the state to be kept in a fund for developing industrial estates, focal points and industrial clusters, providing financial aids, grants, incentives and subsidies to financial, industrial and commercial units, he said.
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It was also decided to establish Employment Bureaus,
manned by specialist and professionals, in all districts to tackle unemployment by carrying out surveys of both educated and the uneducated unemployed in the state and preparing annual district employment plans with clear targets.
The cabinet decided that all subsidies, pensions, and other pro-poor schemes such as 'Ashirwad' and 'Atta Dal' would be better targeted towards genuine beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfers, wherever possible.
The Department of Personnel would be directed to submit a complete proposal to regularise all ad hoc and contractual employees recruited through transparent systems and procedures, said the spokesperson, adding the cabinet also decided to ban recruitment of contractual staff against the regular sanctioned posts in various government departments.
Students in government schools will be given free transportation facility and textbooks.
At least one degree college will be established in each sub-division of the state.
Establishment of an Employment Commission, setting up of an Expenditure Reforms Commission, setting up of military training academies and Sainik Schools, and sweeping health reforms will also be taken up by the government on priority.
Enhancement of the job reservation quota as promised in the manifesto, along with housing and other benefits for SCs/STs and OBCs, are other major decisions of the cabinet which also decided on a special package for border areas, to be worked out by the Department of Planning for notification within 30 days.
The government will also initiate immediate steps to provide jobs to the unemployed as provisioned for in the manifesto, while the Department of Youth Affairs will take measures to give smart phones to the youth who had registered themselves under the "Captain Smart Connect scheme".
Other important manifesto promises on which the government will work on priority basis include simplification of procedure for getting retirement benefits, establishment of a grievances redressal mechanism, and a National Institute for Promotion and Development of Punjabi Language.
Besides, constitution of an Ex-Servicemen (ESM) Cell under the chief minister's control, appointment of Guardians of Governance and launch of 'Sasti Roti' community kitchens to be run by the district Red Cross societies, are among some of the Cabinet decisions.