Date : 26.10.2016

30,000 contractual employees to regularised: 

In a major decision ahead of the STATE ASSEMBLYpolls Punjab Cabinet today regularised services of over 30,000 contractual employees of the government. 

Employees working on contract, adhoc, daily-wage, temporary and work-charged basis in government departments, boards, corporations and societies will be regularised, a spokesman with the Chief Minister's Office said. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired byPunjabChief Minister  Parkash Singh Badal here today. 

The spokesman said these employees should have completed three years of continuous service, fulfilled educational qualifications and age limit at the time of appointment The proposal was finalised yesterday in a Cabinet Sub Committee meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. 

Industry Minister Madan Mohan Mittal, Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi, Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema, Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani were part of the committee.The last decision on regularisation was taken in the last tenure of the SAD-BJP government in which 45,000 employees were regularised. Pays of those regularised will be protected and they can continue to draw salary for three years. "Group-D employees will be regularised like those in Group A, B and C," he assured. 

In another landmark decision, the Cabinet "adopted" all employees taken through private outsourcing agencies or contractors. These employees will now be shifted straightaway to a direct arrangement and become the government's contractual employees. They will be eligible for benefits, he said .The Cabinet directed the Chief Secretary to ensure all cases related to employment are decided and disposed within three-weeks on compassionate grounds. 

It further decided to fill vacant posts related to all reserved categories, SC, OBC and physically handicapped. The CM intervened to ensure employees were given benefits for their past services and not be considered fresh recruits. 

"They will be given pay protection and will be allowed to draw pay equivalent to their last pay," the CM said.

In a goodwill gesture, the Cabinet approved special grant-in-aid of up to Rs 50 lakh to war widows (or their legal heirs) of soldiers martyred in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak and 1962 Indo-China wars.The Cabinet after verification will give the grant in three half-yearly installments--one of Rs 20 lakh and two of Rs 15 lakh. 

It also approved amendments to the Fiscal Incentives for Industrial Promotion (Revised) 2013. Now incentives like exemption from Mandi Fee/Rural Development Fee already given to the established/under construction basmati processing units from December 2013 to September 2015, as a part of incentives, will not exceed the approved fixed capital investment. 

It approved formation of a finance management cell for the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs DepartmentIt will monitor accounts related to all procurement agencies and ensure proper accounting of funds given to agencies and their recoveries/payments. 

In view of allotment of liquor vends for 2016-17, the Cabinet gave its nod to make certain amendments for issuance of L-1A License in pursuance with directions of Punjab and Haryana High Court, he said. Consequently, eligible person/firm could obtain L-1A license directly from the department, after fulfilling the necessary conditions, said spokesman. 

Conceding to the demand of 1984 riot affected families, the Cabinet also gave approval to execute conveyance deed of the houses/booths allotted to them on allotment rates instead of collector rates.

In a bid to attract huge investments in industry, trade and housing sector, the Punjab Cabinet today approved amendments in an earlier policy approved on February 27, 2008. The revised policy envisages mega housing projects. If more area is added than the approved, then to complete development works in the additional area will be on the basis of PAPRA and five years will be given for its completion.

In case of upgradation of category by the promoters of Super Mega Mixed Use Integrated Industrial Park Projects, they would be entitled to the incentives of upgraded category as well as five years time (without penalty) for the completion of increased area from the date of supplementary agreement. Likewise, if a promoter has additional area and the category is not upgraded then he would be entitled for five years time (without penalty) for its completion. But the incentives would remain the same as of the existing category.

It decided that the District Labour Court, District Consumer Forum and District Social Welfare offices should be set up at Pathankot. Meanwhile, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh welcomed the regularisation of contractual employees. "Better late than never. I had promised to regularise all contractual employees as soon as I came to power but I'm happy to see that they have been given their due just a few days before Diwali," he said, adding, the Badal government has finally seen sense.

He described the development as a victory for the contractual employees who had for long been agitating for regularisation.

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