In a bid to check menace of stray cattle and ensure its upkeep in Gaushalas/Cattle Pounds, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday approved a sum of Rs.6.65 crore, out of which Rs. 4.03 crore would be spent to clear outstanding liabilities of 20 Government Cattle Pounds and Rs. 2.62 crore for the running cost for these cattle pounds for next three months.
Notably, stray cattle population is increasing day by day and has led to crop damage and losses to farmers. In addition, stray cattle lead to road accidents in cities and on highways. There is immediate need to control this problem.
Therefore, the collected cow cess should be used for upkeep of stray cattle, to keep these stray cattle in Gaushalas/Cattle Pounds.According to a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office, Rs. 20 crore has been made available by Local Bodies Department to Rural Development and Panchayats Department for the utilization to clear outstanding liabilities of 20 Government Cattle Pounds and for the running cost for these Cattle Pounds.Balance funds out of the above mentioned Rs. 20 Crore and the balance funds available with Local Bodies Department, which was collected by Excise Department as cow cess, are proposed to be distributed to the 457 registered Gaushalas run by religious Institutions/NGO’s/Private parties @ Rs 5 lakhs per Gaushala subject to the condition that these Gaushalas will house additional 50 stray cattles before March 31, 2022.
These 50 new stray cattle will be in addition to the already existing cattle heads kept at their premises and will be added after getting ear tagged by Animal Husbandry Department.
Pertinently, there is a need to make a Policy to hand over these 20 government Cattle Pounds to religious Institutions/NGO’s. The Committee constituted in the Cabinet meeting on December 31, 2021 will put forward its proposal, which would be placed by the Animal Husbandry Department for Cabinet approval. Financial Commissioner, Rural Development & Panchayats Department, Punjab would also be a member of this Committee.
GIVES EX-POST FACTO APPROVAL TO INCREASE HONORARIUM OF ANGANWADI WORKERS, MINI ANGANWADI WORKERS AND ANGANWADI HELPERS
The Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval to increase the honorarium of Anganwadi workers, Mini Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi helpers by Rs.1400, Rs.1000 and Rs.1050 per month respectively working under the Anganwadi Services Scheme.
The state government has introduced an assured annual hike in the honorarium of Anganwadi workers, Mini Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi helpers by Rs.500, Rs.250 and Rs.250 respectively on 1st January every year, w.e.f January 1, 2023.Notably, the state government has taken this decision in recognition of the services of Anganwadi workers, Mini Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi helpers by Rs.500, Rs.250 and Rs.250 respectively on 1st January every year, w.e.f January 1, 2023.Notably, the state government has taken this decision in recognition of the services of Anganwadi functionaries and its commitment to provide them better compensation for their work and an assured annual hike.The decision would add an immediate financial burden of Rs. 72 crore annually and an additional burden of Rs. 23.88 crore each subsequent year to the state exchequer.
GIVES APPROVAL TO PROVIDE ONE TIME ONLINE/INTERNET ALLOWANCE OF RS. 2000/- TO ALL STUDENTS STUDYING IN ANY HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
The Cabinet also accorded approval to provide one time online/internet allowance of Rs. 2000/- to all the students studying in any higher educational institutions i.e., institutions belonging to the Technical Education, Medical Education or Higher Education, College or University Govt. college or private college or aided college or constituent college. The decision will help nearly 8.67 lakh students studying in the higher educational institutions across the state in accessing internet facility for the purpose to continue their study while attending online classes in the Covid pandemic times.
CABINET APPROVES APPOINTMENTS TO STAR PUNJAB HOCKEY PLAYERS OF INDIAN OLYMPICS TEAM AS PCS/DSPs
In recognition of the outstanding contribution of Punjabi hockey players of Indian Team, which recently brought laurels for Country in the Tokyo Olympic Games-2020, the Cabinet gave approval to offer appointments to them as PCS/DSPs to those having minimum qualification as graduation. After the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister along with Sports Minister Pargat Singh handed over appointment letters to seven players besides CM Channi also announced Cabinet’s decision to elevate the Captain of Indian hockey team who was already posted as DSP in Punjab police as Superintendent of Police.
CABINET GIVES GREEN SIGNAL TO ‘PUNJAB GOVERNMENT ROZGAR GUARANTEE FOR YOUTH SCHEME (PRAGTY) 2022’
With an objective to have a focused and output based approach, the Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved the ‘Punjab Government Rozgar Guarantee for Youth Scheme (PRAGTY) 2022’.A decision to this effect was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi here at Punjab Bhawan, this evening.
According to a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office, the scheme formulated by the Employment Generation, Skill Development & Training department is aimed at ensuring guarantee employment facilitation including jobs, private sector jobs, foreign employment, foreign study, skill training including soft skill training, self-employment, enterprise and entrepreneurship development, counselling and coaching for competitive examinations.At the State level, PRAGTY will be implemented by Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Department through Punjab Skill Development Mission, Punjab Ghar Ghar Rozgar & Karobar Mission, C-PYTE, Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute and Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute. Further to ensure effective service delivery, at district level PRAGTY will be implemented by District Bureau of Employment and Enterprise (DBEE) under the overall control and monitoring of the concerned Deputy Commissioner.
Notably, there are large numbers of the Punjab youth who are not able to get employment due to various reasons. Many times such youth is not aware about the information on employment opportunities or at times he/she does not have the adequate counselling and guidance. To affirm government’s commitment towards finding a solution to the issue of unemployment and keeping in view the gravity of the situation and the possible facilitations that can be provided immediately to the unemployed youth, the present Scheme PRAGTY-2022 has been formulated in order to provide every possible facilitation to the unemployed youth of the State to help him become gainfully employed.
GAVE GO AHEAD FOR UP-GRADATION OF SUB-TEHSILS MEHAL KALAN AND FATEHGARH CHURIAN AS TEHSILS/SUB-DIVISIONS
Inorder to provide citizen centric services to the residents in the vicinity of their residence in a seamless manner, the Cabinet also approved up-gradation of Sub-Tehsil Mehal Kalan in Barnala district and Fatehgarh Churian in Gurdaspur district as Tehsils/Sub-Divisions.The newly upgraded Tehsil/Sub-Division Mehal Kalan would comprise of two Kanungo Circles, 19 Patwar Circles and 27 villages whereas Fatehgarh Churian would consist of two Kanungo Circles, 20 Patwar circles and 62 villages.
APPROVES HIKE IN REMUNERATION OF EXISTING MID DAY MEAL WORKERS FROM RS. 2200 TO RS. 3000 PER MONTH
To ensure smooth and efficient functioning of the Mid Day Meal scheme, the Cabinet gave nod to hike remuneration of existing mid day meal workers (cook-cum-helpers) working under Mid Day Meal Scheme (60:40) from Rs. 2200 to Rs. 3000 per month for 12 months in a year. This move would aim at enhancing the wages of such workers under mid day meal programme to provide financial relief so that these workers could perform their duties more efficiently.Notably, at present 42,205 workers are enrolled which are being paid Rs.2200 per month. The prescribed wages are paid to the said workers only for 10 months in a year after deduction of vacation. It is pertinent to mention that the Central Government has fixed wages of such workers at Rs.1000 per month and the Central Government reimburses its 60% share based on this fixed amount. In other words, the Central Government contributes only Rs. 600 per month per worker for 10 months in a year. However, keeping in view the hardship of these workers, the state government has already been paying Rs.2200 per month. Thus, Rs. 1200 per month over and above the amount fixed by the Central Government is being paid to such workers by the state government. In case, all 42,205 cook workers are proposed to be paid Rs. 3000 per month for twelve months in a year, there will be an additional burden of Rs. 3.376 crore per month for 10 months in a year and Rs. 25.32 crore for two months. Therefore, the annual additional financial burden in total will be to the tune of Rs.59.08 crore per annum to the state exchequer.
NOD TO AMEND PARA NO. 2 OF NOTIFICATION DATED MAY 18, 2016 FOR ACQUISITION OF LAND THROUGH NEGOTIATION/MUTUAL CONSENT
In another significant decision regarding acquisition of land through negotiation/mutual consent, the Cabinet gave approval to amend para no. 2 of notification dated May 18, 2016 to the extent to insert Section 28 of ‘The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013’ so that land owners can get due relief.
OKAYS POLICY FOR ALLOTMENT OF LAND BELONGING TO PSCLDFC TO UNAUTHORISED OCCUPANTS AT SURTAPUR FARM
The Cabinet also approved the policy for allotment of land belonging to Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development & Finance Corporation (PSCLDFC) to unauthorised occupants belonging to Scheduled Castes at Surtapur Farm (villages Bada Surtapur, Chhota Surtapur, Ghadispur, Ramgarh, Taprian Boothgarh) in tehsil Chamkaur Sahib of Rupnagar district.This decision would benefit the poor landless, small and marginal SC farmers who are in cultivating possession and occupation of Corporation lands for period of more than 10 years (girdawari being in their names) and for protecting the Corporation’s interests of getting reasonable price for its lands which is right now under illegal occupation.Pertinently, in 1972 the Corporation allotted 508 acres of land to 113 families belonging to SCs enabling them to raise their standard of living. Some land was kept reserved for river, bandh and forest area because that land was not allotable at that time. But with the passage of time, certain persons took unauthorised possession of that land. These people have thus been in occupation for a long time.However, there are 60 court cases under Public premises (Eviction of unauthorised occupants) Act, 1971 filed by the Corporation for eviction of land.
ALSO APPROVES ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT OF CIVIL AVIATION AND INDUSTRIES & COMMERCE DEPARTMENT
The Cabinet also approved 57th annual administrative report of Civil Aviation department for the year 2020-21 and Industries & Commerce department for the year 2019-20.
