In the run-up to the Budget session of the Punjab Assembly, the state government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took a number of key decisions during a cabinet meeting on 21 February. The Budget will be presented on 10 March and the session will be from 3 March to 24 March.
Here are four key decisions taken by the Punjab government at the cabinet meeting.
Step Towards Implementation of Old Pension Scheme
The cabinet gave ex-post-facto approval to the officers' committee constituted by the finance department to formulate the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the implementation of the old pension scheme in Punjab. The Punjab government on 11 November 2022, had issued a notification announcing the implementation of OPS for all government employees covered under the Defined Contributory Pension Scheme.
Green Signal To Notify Affordable Colony Policy 2023
The cabinet gave a go-ahead to notify the Affordable Colony Policy, 2023 that aims to "provide houses at affordable prices to the lower income group in the state".
The policy proposes to increase the saleable area from 62 percent to 65 percent. It plans to reduce charges on aspects like change of land use and external development.
Integrated Logistics and Logistics Party Policy
The cabinet has approved the "Integrated Logistics & Logistics Park Policy" that offers several incentives for the development of infrastructure like logistics parks, trucker parks and wayside amenities.
The policy also proposes a single integrated approval system for setting up units in the logistics sector.
Punjab Young Entrpreneur Progam
The cabinet also gave the nod to the 'Punjab Young Entrepreneur Program', which envisions development of entrepreneurial skills among students in government schools. Under this, there is a proposal to provide seed money of Rs 2000 per student to a group of students to develop and implement a business idea.
Besides these four key policies, the cabinet also decided to convert 101 temporary posts of district and sessions' judges and additional judges to permanent.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)