The state government on Wednesday cleared a new scheme, the Punjab Divyangjan Shaktikaran Yojna (PDSY), in a virtual cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh in Chandigarh.
It will be implemented in a phased manner with its first phase aimed at strengthening the existing programmes to ensure their benefits reach people with disabilities. The scheme will fill the backlog of people with disabilities (PwDs) in government jobs as the department of employment generation will give thrust on filling vacant posts of PwDs in six months.
In Phase-I, the scheme will focus on providing PwDs the benefits of existing schemes being run by government departments, covering services, benefits and rights in respect of healthcare, education, employment, safety and dignity in all spheres of life. Phase-II shall have new initiatives and programmes to cover those aspects and needs which have hitherto not been covered under any existing centrally/state sponsored scheme or PwD-oriented schemes by different departments.
In Phase-II, the 13 interventions include the treatment on suffering disability, mobility aids and assistive devices, five days of special leave in a calendar year, free education, empowerment of disabled girl students, recreational activities, home schooling for children with special needs, and state award for outstanding work done by teachers with disability.
More posts for govt medical colleges in Patiala, Amritsar
To cope with the Covid-19 pandemic, the cabinet approved the creation of 16 posts of assistant professor (super specialist) in the departments of cardiology, endocrinology, neurology and nephrology of the government medical colleges of Patiala and Amritsar.
Temporary conversion of 25 vacant posts of direct quota of super-specialist professor and associate professor to assistant professor on contract in these two GMCs was also approved.
The filling of 168 posts of technician in paramedical cadres in these medical colleges was also approved. Of these, 98 posts will be created and 70 vacant posts will be revived.
State agricultural education Act deferred to June 2021
In view of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the cabinet decided to defer implementation of the Punjab State Council for Agricultural Education Act, 2017, till June 30, 2021.
Jobs to be given to siblings of Galwan heroes
The Cabinet approved amendment to rules to provide jobs in the state services to married siblings of three bachelor battle casualties of the Galwan Valley. The decision was taken in recognition of the sacrifice made by sepoy Gurtej Singh, sepoy Gurbinder Singh and lance naik Saleem Khan.
According to existing rules, only dependent family members or next of kin of battle casualties are eligible for jobs, but in this case as no dependent family member exists, the government decided to make an exception.
20% hike in salary of OSDs
An increase of 20%, from ₹50,000 to ₹60,000 as fixed remuneration payable to Officers on Special Duty (OSDs, litigation) in different state departments was cleared. Eleven temporary posts of OSD (litigation) had been created in the Punjab civil secretariat in the office of chief secretary, departments of general administration, home affairs and justice, water resources, social justice, empowerment and minorities, rural development and panchayat, food civil supplies and consumer affairs, public works, water supply and sanitation, health and family welfare and education.
