Chandigarh, February 22 : The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, approved the convening of the sixth session (budget session) of the 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha from March 1st to March 15th.

Authorization and Session Details

This decision emerged from a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister at the Punjab Civil Secretariat I. The Cabinet authorized the Governor to convene the session in accordance with Article 174 of the Constitution of India. The Punjab Government will present its budget for the financial year 2024-25 on March 5th.

Session Schedule

According to the schedule, the budget session will commence on March 1st with the Governor’s address, followed by obituary references.

 Recognition of Martyr PHG Jaspal Singh No. 28475

Furthermore, the Cabinet recognized the immense contribution of Martyr PHG Jaspal Singh No. 28475 S/o Sh. Dalip Singh R/o Village Maniala, P.S. Sultanpur Lodhi, District Kapurthala. Consequently, an ex-gratia grant was approved for the family of the martyr. This aimed to equate the sacrifice of Punjab Home Guard Volunteer with that of Police Officers, residents of Punjab in Para Military Forces, and Army Jawans, boosting the morale of the Punjab Home Guards volunteers.

Amendment in Teachers Transfer Policy 2019

The Punjab Cabinet approved an amendment in Para 9 of the Teachers transfer policy 2019, aiming to address the needs of exempted category teachers. The Education Minister stipulates that employees meeting specific medical and personal criteria must submit transfer requests monthly via the portal.

 Approval for Design Wing Services

The Cabinet approved the Design Wing of the Water Resources Department to provide design and consultancy services to private entities. This is subject to depositing 40% of revenue generated in the State Treasury.

 Amendment in “The East Punjab War Awards Act 1948

The Cabinet approved amending “The East Punjab War Awards Act 1948” to double the War Jagir (financial assistance) from existing Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. Currently, 83 beneficiaries are availing benefits under this Scheme.

Finalization of Service Rules

The Cabinet finalized the service rules for group B and C employees in the Department of Defense Services Welfare after restructuring, aiming for better organisation .

Setting up MSME Punjab

Furthermore, in a move to support Medium and Small Scale Industries, the Cabinet approved the setting up of a dedicated Wing named MSME Punjab in the Department of Industries and Commerce, Punjab.  This initiative aims to address challenges faced by MSMEs and transform Punjab into a dynamic industrial hub. It is expected to benefit about 8 lakhs existing and new MSMEs in the state.