The Punjab Cabinet on Saturday, June 10, 2023, gave its nod to regularize the services of over 14,000 contractual teachers in the state. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
This is a major decision by the AAP government, which had promised to regularize the services of all contractual employees in the state, including teachers, within six months of coming to power. The decision will benefit over 14,000 contractual teachers who have been working in various government schools in the state for the past several years.
Of the total 14,239 contractual/temporary teachers, whose services will be regularised, 7,902 have completed 10 and more years in service, Mann said. The remaining 6,337 teachers are those who have gaps in regular service because of "unavoidable circumstances", he said.
"Because of the gap, these teachers could not complete 10 years of service. We decided that the gap will also be counted and with this, these 6,337 teachers will also be regularised," Mann added.
The teachers will now be regularized and will be entitled to all the benefits that are available to regular government employees, such as salary, leave, pension, and medical facilities. This will provide much-needed relief to the teachers and will also help to improve the quality of education in the state.
In another decision, the cabinet decided to seek strong action against chit-fund organisations proven to be involved in defrauding consumers.
Mann used the example of the 'Pearl Group,' which reportedly defrauded many people across the country, including Punjab, by unlawfully conducting various investment schemes.
"There are many chit-fund companies which dupe people and for these, we will bring an amendment in the law for proposing punishment of up to 10 years," he said.
Later, an official announcement stated that the cabinet agreed to design "The Punjab Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Rules 2023" in order to tighten the noose around fraudulent financial organisations.
In recent years, there has been a mushroom growth of financial establishments in the country, which are duping the people, particularly the middle class and the poorer, by making impracticable or commercially unviable promises, or by offering highly attractive rates of interest or rewards, with the intent of defrauding the investors, according to the report.
In fact, several of these financial institutions have deliberately failed to repay deposits on maturity, pay interest, or provide any stated service offered in exchange for such deposits, according to the statement.
As a result, it was thought necessary to provide for appropriate legislation in the state to protect depositors' interests in financial establishments, it stated.
It has been considered to regulate and impose restrictions on such financial establishments in order to curb the unscrupulous activities of such financial establishments, it added.
'The Punjab Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Rules 2023' will make the promoter, partner, director, manager, member, employee or any other person responsible for the management of, or conducting the business, or affairs of, liable for misdeeds of such financial establishments, the statement said.
The cabinet also agreed to send the case of four life criminals to seek their early release from state prisons.
Following cabinet approval under Article 163 of the Indian Constitution, these special remission/premature release cases would be forwarded to the Punjab governor for consideration under Article 161 of the Constitution, according to the statement.
The cabinet also agreed to accept the recommendations of the Sixth Punjab Finance Commission for the fiscal years 2021-22 to 2025-26, which included devoting 3.5 per cent of the state's net own tax revenue to local bodies and Panchayati raj institutions.
"Recommendation regarding devolution of share of excise duty, auction money and professional tax to local bodies along with the formula of Horizontal Distribution, Inter-se Distribution of above devolution among ULBs and PRIs was also accepted," the statement said.
The cabinet also approved the merger of the Punjab Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (PUNSUP) and the Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation Limited (PAFC) with the Punjab State Grains Procurement Corporation Limited (PUNGRAIN) to improve efficiency and streamline food grain procurement.
The PUNGRAIN is an agency of the Department of the Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, which procures wheat and paddy for the central stock in the state.
The cabinet also gave a nod to frame a policy for controlling the menace of stray cattle in the state.
It also cleared the creation of 485 posts of house doctors in the Health and Family Welfare Department and 1,445 posts of paramedics.
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