Punjab Cabinet Decisions : 17th September 2021
PUNJAB CABINET OKAYS RULES TO PROMOTE & DEVELOP MSMEs, PUTS IN PLACE MECHANISM TO MITIGATE DELAYED PAYMENTS
PUNJAB CABINET OKAYS RULES TO PROMOTE & DEVELOP MSMEs, PUTS IN PLACE MECHANISM TO MITIGATE DELAYED PAYMENTS
RESTRUCTURING OF TOURISM/CULTURE & FOOD/CIVIL SUPPLIES DEPARTMENTS ALSO APPROVED
Chandigarh, September 17: The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Punjab have got a major impetus with the state cabinet approving rules to provide a well-formulated legal framework for their operations, with effective mechanism to mitigate the problem of delayed payments to such enterprises.
The Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, on Friday okayed the Punjab Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Councils Rules, 2021 under Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006, to facilitate promotion, development and competitiveness of MSMEs.
According to a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office, these rules provide the first-ever legal framework for recognition of the concept of “enterprise” (comprising both manufacturing and services), and integrating the three tiers of these enterprises, namely Micro, Small and Medium. Apart from clearer and more progressive classification of each category of enterprises, particularly the small ones, the Act provides for a statutory consultative mechanism at the national level, with wide representation of all sections of stakeholders and with a wide range of advisory functions. One of the silent features of Act is that it provides an effective mechanism for mitigating the problems of delayed payments of micro and small enterprises.
All district level Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Councils established under the chairmanship of respective Deputy Commissioners across the State would ensure proper implementation of the aforesaid rules to ensure development of MSMEs in the State, and to resolve the issues of delayed payments effectively for betterment of Micro & Small Entrepreneurs under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006.
Notably, the respective Deputy Commissioner of these districts shall exercise the powers of the Director, Industries and Commerce, and shall be the Chairperson of the Council with Lead District Bank Manager of the concerned District as Members, besides two members from the association of micro or small Industry or enterprises in the state MSMEs as non-official members. The General Manager of District Industries Centre would be the Member Secretary.
APPROVES RESTRUCTURING OF TOURISM/CULTURE & FOOD/CIVIL SUPPLIES DEPARTMENTS
Carrying forward the state government’s thrust on augmenting efficiencies through rationalization, the Cabinet also approved restructuring of the Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Archaeology, Museums and Archives department for creation and filling up of additional 9 new posts on regular scale, besides additional 35 new posts on outsourcing basis at minimum wages prescribed by the State Government.
The Cabinet also approved the restructuring of Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs department related to its various wings i.e. Food & Supplies, Legal Metrology Wing and Consumer Protection Act Branch. It gave the nod to sanction 109 new posts against 159 posts surrendered in the Food & Supplies, 20 against 35 posts in Legal Metrology Wing, besides creation of 130 new posts in Consumer Redressal Commissions. Thus, a total of 259 posts have been created against 194 surrendered posts to ensure better efficacy and transparency in the functioning of the department, which ensures food security of the country while safeguarding the interests of farmers and consumers.
NEW RULES FOR WATER RESOURCES DEPARTMENT STAFF
To ensure administrative efficiency in the functioning of Water Resources Department, the Cabinet also approved the Punjab Department of Water Resources, Junior Engineer ‘Group-B’ Service Rules, 2021 and the Punjab Department of Water Resources, Junior Draftsman & Surveyor ‘Group-C’ Service Rules, 2021.
Punjab government decides to convert master posts reserved for visually impaired categories in Science subjects into Arts stream subjects : Vijay Inder Singla
Will provide same quota to visually impaired candidates in Arts stream subjects in lieu of posts remained vacant in science and commerce stream subjects for their convenience: School education minister
Chandigarh, September 17:
Punjab school education minister Mr. Vijay Inder Singla, on Friday, said that Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh led state government has decided to convert the subjects of the master cadre posts reserved for visually impaired category candidates for their convenience. The cabinet minister said that the education department would now offer the same quota in the posts of Arts stream subjects in lieu of posts remaining vacant in the science and commerce stream subjects and physical education subject as well due to non-availability of suitable candidates.
While divulging more details, Mr. Vijay Inder Singla said that there were some subjects in which the master cadre posts remain vacant most of the time. He added that such subjects include Science, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Commerce, Physical Education etc. He said that in view of these problems, their government has decided to fill the vacant posts of visually and partially visual impaired categories of these subjects by converting the same into Punjabi, Hindi, Music, History, Political Science and Sociology subjects.
The cabinet minister said that their government was committed for the welfare of all sections of the society and concerted sustained efforts were being done in this regard. He added that with the decision of converting visually impaired quota posts into Arts stream subjects would provide more options to the candidates of these categories in the recruitment of master cadre posts. He said that it would also enable the education department to fill the backlog posts without any hindrance.
PUNJAB CABINET APPROVES ESTABLISHMENT OF LAMRIN TECH SKILLS UNIVERSITY IN SBS NAGAR DISTRICT
REPROMULGATES PALAKSHA UNIVERSITY ORDINANCE, APPROVES TAKING OVER OF NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR WOMEN, MACHHIWARA
CHANDIGARH, SEPTEMBER 17:
To strengthen industry-oriented teaching, skill training and research in the state, the Punjab Cabinet on Friday approved the establishment of Private Self-Financed ‘Lamrin Tech Skills University’ at Railmajra in Balachaur (SBS Nagar).
This decision, which will pave the way for the development of the region as a major skill and technological hub, was taken during a virtual Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. The university will become functional from this academic session.
The Cabinet gave the nod to the draft of ‘‘Lamrin Tech Skills University Ordinance 2021’, and authorized the Chief Minister to approve the final draft prepared by the Legal Remembrancer, without placing it again before the Council of Ministers.
The upcoming self-financed ‘Lamrin Tech Skills University’, being established as a research and skill development university over an area of 81 acre, will be developed at a village Railmajra in SBS district, with an investment of Rs. 1630 crore over five years. It will have an annual intake of 1000-1100 students when the campus is fully established.
The University would be instrumental in imparting world-class higher education to students to empower them to compete globally and be gainfully equipped. It would also provide instructions, teaching, education, research and training at all levels in disciplines of higher education, including specifically designed skill intensive programmes in engineering, management, medical technology skills, vocational education and other skill based programmes in collaboration with industry and foreign universities. The programmes will be designed as per the needs of the industry and the society in general, as deemed necessary by the University and permissible under the state or central law and with the approval of the concerned Regulatory Authority.
The Punjab government has made it mandatory to reserve 15% seats exclusively for students from Punjab in the upcoming University, and full tuition fee concession/freeship to not less than 5% of the total strength from among the candidates belonging to the weaker sections of the society, as part of the ordinance and its terms and conditions.
It may be recalled that the Higher Education department had issued a Letter of Intent after considering the proposal and adopting the required procedure as per the provisions of Punjab Private Universities Policy-2010 to the sponsoring body on July 7, 2020, followed by a comprehensive proposal for setting up of a private self-financed ‘Lamrin Tech Skills University’ received from Rayat Educational and Research Trust, Village-Railmajra in Tehsil Balachaur of S.B.S. Nagar District.
RE-PROMULGATION OF PLAKSHA UNIVERSITY, PUNJAB ORDINANCE-2021
The Cabinet also accorded its approval to re-promulgate the Plaksha University, Punjab Ordinance-2021 for the establishment of Private Self-Financed ‘Plaksha University’ in Mohali’s IT city.
The Ordinance was issued on August 20, 2021, but it could not be converted into an Act of the State Legislature in the last session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, and as per the advice of the Legal Remembrancer (LR), this ordinance would cease to the operate on the expiry of a period of six weeks from the re-assembly of the Vidhan Sabha. On the advice of LR, the Cabinet thus approved its re-promulgation.
During the Cabinet meeting, Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi called for implementation of the reservation policy in the university while Health Minister Balbir Sidhu suggested giving preference in employment for certain categories to residents of Mohali. The Chief Minister asked the department to consider all these issues.
APPROVES TAKING OVER OF NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR WOMEN, MACHHIWARA
Further, to affordable and quality education to the students of the region, the Cabinet also approved taking over National College for Women, Machhiwara, in Tehsil Samrala of Ludhiana district as Government College (Women), Machhiwara, Samrala (Ludhiana). The move is in line with the decision of the State Government of having a Government college in each sub-division of the state. It will also help in increasing the Gross Enrollment Ratio of the State.
PUNJAB CABINET APPROVES RECRUITMENT OF 160 ASSISTANT PROFESSORS & 17 LIBRARIANS IN NEW GOVT COLLEGES
GIVES NOD TO SETTING UP 9 FAST TRACK SPECIAL COURTS & CREATING 117 POSTS FOR THE SAME
Chandigarh, September 17:
To ensure smooth running of 18 new Government colleges in various sub-divisions of the state, the Punjab Cabinet on Friday gave approval to recruitment of 160 Assistant Professors and 17 Librarians in these colleges.
The recruitments will be made by the Departmental Selection Committee after taking these posts out of the purview of Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), it was decided at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
The Cabinet also gave the nod to constitute a Departmental Selection Committee, comprising former Chairman UGC Professor Ved Prakash as Chairperson with Vice Chancellor, GNDU Amritsar, DPI (C), Representative of Principal Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (not below the rank of Joint Director) and 3 subject matters experts (not below the rank of Professor to be selected by the Committee) as its Members. The Committee has been mandated to carry out the recruitment process by strictly following the selection criteria as per the UGC guidelines.
The decision is a vital step towards increasing the accessibility of Higher Education to maximum youth of the state, besides achieving the target of 50 percent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by the year 2035 in tune with the National Education Policy-2020.
NOD FOR CREATING 117 POSTS FOR 9 FAST TRACK SPECIAL COURTS
With a view to eliminating the pendency of Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and rape cases, the Cabinet also approved the setting up of 9 fast track special courts with the creation of 117 posts for the same.
These nine fast track special courts would be set up in Amritsar, Bathinda, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Mansa, Moga, Patiala and S.A.S. Nagar. The 117 posts to be created for such courts include 9 Additional District & Sessions Judge and 9 each of Judgement Writer (Sr. Grade), Reader Grade-I, Stenographer Grade-II, Translator, Ahlmad, Copy Clerk and Usher with 18 of Peon. The remaining 27 posts comprise 9 each of Deputy District Attorney, Junior Scale Stenographer and Peon.
It may be recalled that the Apex Court has directed the State Governments to set up Fast Track Special Courts in such districts where more than 100 cases related to POCSO Act and rape cases are pending.
