Punjab Cabinet today gave its approval to include Saini and Swarnkar/Sunar Communities in the list of Backward Classes of the state on recommendations of the Backward Classes Commission.
A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office in a release said a decision to this effect was taken by the cabinet in its meeting held under the chairmanship of the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today.
This decision would help the Saini and Swarnkar/Sunar communities to avail various benefits of government welfare schemes, it said.
The cabinet gave nod for introducing memorandum for passing a resolution to ratify amendments to the Constitution of India (122nd Amendment Bill, 2014) by the state assembly in its ongoing session for implementing Goods and Service Tax.
It gave green signal to the proposed amendments in the Punjab State Legislature Members (Pension and Medical Facilities Regulation) Rules, 1984. Likewise, it approved amendments in the Act to increase pension of Ex-MLAs.
Both the draft Bills in this regard would be introduced in the current Punjab Assembly session to pass necessary amendments, the spokesperson said.
It approved the draft of the Punjab Anand Marriage Rules, 2016 in conformity with the registration of marriages.
To mention, marriages which were being registered under the Anand Marriages Act,1909, and Anand Marriages (Amendment) Act, 2012, shall not be required to be registered under the Punjab Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act, 2012.
The cabinet decided to introduce the Punjab Laws (Special Provision) Bill, 2016, replacing the already issued ordinance in the current session of assembly for enactment to regularise unauthorised colonies.
It will bring them within the ambit of planning framework and provide basic civic amenities to the residents of these colonies for another one year.
The state government has been inviting applications from residents from time to time and subsequently the term of these extensions given twice for one year each had expired on April 16, 2014 and February 5, this year.
Under this scheme 4,39,902 applications were received from across Punjab but still several people working outside the state and NRIs could not avail its benefit.
Therefore, the Cabinet has taken a conscientious decision to make the Punjab Laws (Special Provision) Bill, 2016 to provide another opportunity for one more year.
In another decision aimed at providing land to weaker sections and homeless, the Cabinet approved amendments in the East Punjab Holdings (Consolidation and Prevention of Fragmentation) Act, 1948, to allot five marla plots each from village common land (Jumla Mustarka Maalkaan) to homeless people.
On the basis of a representation submitted by the
Handicrafts Inlay Work Industry Association, Hoshiarpur, the cabinet decided to abolish VAT on wooden goods with inlay work.
It will ensure a level playing field to the local handicraft industry to compete with its peers in Uttar Pradesh, which has already exempted VAT on wooden handicrafts. Besides, craftsmen would get more employment, the spokesperson said.
In order to promote tourism in the holy city of Amritsar by ensuring cleanliness and upkeep of civic amenities, the cabinet approved presenting the bill to enact Amritsar Culture and Tourism Development Authority Act, 2016, in the ongoing assembly session.
This Act would facilitate setting up of the Amritsar Culture and Tourism Development Authority under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister with the Deputy Chief Minister as its co-chairman.
The tourism minister and local government will be members besides nine other official members.
This authority would take care of all the newly created tourist facilities in the vicinity of Golden Temple, Gobindgarh Fort, Durgiana Mandir and Ram Tirath Complex.
The authority would undertake maintenance, cleanliness, power supply, monument lighting, sanitation, roads, solid waste management and other related works.
The cabinet also gave nod to create a corpus fund of Rs 50 crore for operation and maintenance of Jang-e-Azaadi Memorial Kartarpur, Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal Amritsar, Sri Guru Ravidass Memorial Khuralgarh and War Memorial Amritsar, after their completion.
The provisions for the corpus would be made under the state plan and would remain with foundation and boards constituted for the projects.
It approved setting up of the Advanced Autism Care and Research Centre at Mohali and gave necessary permission for creation of posts to recruit specialists.
Likewise, it approved creation of six posts of clinical psychologist, speech therapist and paediatric occupational therapist at the Government Medical College, Patiala and Amritsar's department of medical education and research.
The spokesman said, the Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion (PBIP) would henceforth be a statutory authority and the draft bill was approved to this effect.
The cabinet approved amendments to the Punjab Rural Development Act, 1987, by inserting a provision regarding the utilisation of fund as the government might deem fit in interest of producers and benefit of the persons paying fee, including dealers.
Acceding to the request of the Punjab Unaided Technical
Institutions Association (PUTIA), the Cabinet gave approval to amend the compounding policy issued earlier on August 17, 2016 to formulate a revised policy to rationalise the compounding fee charged from the institutions/public buildings.
Subsequently, the Cabinet decided to grant substantial relief to slash the compounding fee by 50 per cent for public buildings and institutions.
The Cabinet also decided to abolish 25 per cent direct quota for the post of Sub-Divisional Soil Conservation Officers, now 100 per cent of these officers would be promoted from amongst the Soil Conservation Officers.
Taking cognisance of news reports about the death sentence awarded to 10 youths from Punjab in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and expressing heartfelt sympathies with the affected families, the Cabinet also decided to send two ministers -- Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Madan Mohan Mittal -- to the UAE to take effective measures and also explore possibility of their prompt release.
The Cabinet also decided to enhance the retirement age of the Chairmen of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) from 65 to 67 years.
The Cabinet approved the waiver of the penal interest to the tune of Rs 35 lakh payable by Bhai Randhir Singh Trust, Ludhiana by granting relaxation in the existing rules.
