CHANDIGARH: Carrying forward the state government’s thrust on augmenting efficiencies through rationalisation, the Punjab Cabinet on Thursday approved restructuring of four more departments, including the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), to create more employment opportunities in place of archaic, non-essential and long-vacant posts.
Besides PPCB, the departments that will be restructured in this phase are Governance Reforms, Environment & Climate Change, and Employment Generation, Skill Development & Training, an official spokesperson said after the virtual Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
The restructuring of the Governance Reforms department would lead to creation of 56 new posts while doing away with 75 obsolete ones. The 20 new posts across cadres will be filled through Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), Punjab Subordinate Service Selection Board (PSSSB), etc. The new structure would support the department’s larger reforms agenda for significant reduction in the time taken for provision of citizen-centric services, and make the government more accountable and transparent through digital interventions. The rationalisation also takes into account the fact that the department’s role is limited now to overseeing and monitoring the e-Governance projects executed by Punjab State e-Governance Society (PSeGS).
In the Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training department, which has been mandated to solve the problem of unemployment amongst the youth in the state under the Ghar Ghar Rozgar Programme, 29 new posts of different cadres have been approved for creation while 57 existing ones will be done away with. Currently, the department has 615 sanctioned posts of different cadres, of which 369 are filled.
The restructuring of the Directorate of Environment & Climate Change (DECC), wherein 24 new posts have been cleared with 7 abolished, the government aims to strengthen the implementation of the state environmental action plans to ensure clean air, clean rivers, waste management, sustainable environment, climate change and related policy matters. In the Punjab Pollution Control Board (2 new posts against 2 old ones) will lead to right sizing and better efficacy in dealing with the challenges of pollution.
Scholarship enhancement
To incentivise Class X students of government schools, the Punjab government has decided to enhance the Dr. Hargobind Khurana Scholarship amount from Rs 2500 to Rs 3000 per month. The scheme, being implemented by by the School Education department since August 1, 2013, will also now be amended to promote brilliance among students by making it applicable to those obtaining 90% marks or above instead of the earlier ceiling of 80%. Students studying in Adarsh Schools run by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) would be paid the scholarship amount by the Board out of its own funds.
Supplementary demands for grants & CAG audit reports okayed for tabling in vs
In another decision, the Cabinet cleared the presentation of Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2020-21 along with CAG audit reports for the year 2018-19, in the ongoing budget session of the Vidhan Sabha. It also approved tabling of Finance Accounts and Appropriation Accounts for the year ended March 31, 2019, in the House.
Annual administrative reports approved
The Cabinet also approved the Annual Administrative Reports of Town and Country Planning department for the years 2017-2018 and 2018-19.
Cabinet okays amendment to PSEB act
The Captain Amarinder Singh led Government has decided to expand the ambit of the Punjab School Education Board Act, 1969 to enable Heads of Government Senior Secondary and High Schools, as well State or National Awardee Principals and Headmasters of government schools to be eligible to be nominated for membership of the Board. The existing rules allow for only principals/heads of Private schools to become Board members. The amendment to Section 4 (1) (b), under category (iv), (v) and (vi), will make PSEB membership more broad-based and inclusive.