CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday has decided to grant Rs.1000 as one time grant per beneficiary over and above the monthly pension/financial assistance of Rs.1500 being given to old/widow, destitute women, dependent children and disabled persons in order to mitigate their hardships amid Covid-19 pandemic.

CHANDIGARH: In a bid to check menace of stray cattle and ensure its upkeep in Gaushalas/Cattle Pounds, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday approved a sum of Rs.6.65 crore, out of which Rs. 4.03 crore would be spent to clear outstanding liabilities of 20 Government Cattle Pounds and Rs. 2.62 crore for the running cost for these cattle pounds for next three months

CHANDIGARH: With an objective to have a focused and output based approach, the Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved the ‘Punjab Government Rozgar Guarantee for Youth Scheme (PRAGTY) 2022’.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet accorded approval for setting up of Geeta Adhyayan and Sanatani Granth Institute at Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University, Patiala to carry out teaching research into wisdom and belief of these faiths.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet on Thursday gave approval to bring out OTS for chronic defaulters of dues of principal cost of industrial plots located in different focal points developed by the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC)/Punjab Infotech in the state.

CHANDIGARH:To provide better health facilities to the people at their doorstep, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday approved creation of 775 posts including Senior Medical Officer, Medical Officers, Staff Nurse, Pharmacist, Laboratory Technician, etc. by upgrading 28 health Institutions (PHCs, CHCs, SDHs etc) which is under active consideration. The Cabinet also gave approval for opening of new Trauma Centre at Community Health Centre at Morinda.

CHANDIGARH: In order to provide constructed houses to the Economically Weaker Section of the society across the state, the Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved invitation of applications for allotment of 25,000 EWS houses to be constructed by various Urban Development Authorities.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday gave approval to upgrade 229 schools to different levels viz. 46 Elementary to Middle schools, 100 Middle to High schools and 83 High to Senior Secondary schools.

CHANDIGARH: In a major reprieve to the traders across the state, the Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday decided to exempt about 1.50 lakh cases from assessment related to cases of 'C' form for the past years from 2014-15 to 2017-18.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday accorded approval for implementation of the Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme in Higher Education for government colleges in the state.

SRI KARTARPUR SAHIB (Narowal)/DERA BABA NANAK:Ever since the opening of Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, the jatha from Punjab went to pay obeisance at Gurudwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib for the third consecutive day. The jatha performed ardas for the communal harmony, prosperity of the people of the region, peace and mutual coexistence.

CHANDIGARH: To increase enrolment, reduce dropout rate and attract students towards the Government Schools, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Cahnni on Tuesday decided to provide free uniforms to nearly 2.66 lakh left out boys of General Category studying in Government Schools from class I to VIII. Punjab Government will spend approx Rs. 15.98 crore in current financial year.

DHAROWALI: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi today announced that entire Punjab Cabinet will pay obeisance at Sri Kartarpur Sahib on November 18 as a part of first delegation after reopening of Kartarpur corridor.

CHANDIGARH: In a bid to provide financial relief to the cotton picking farm labourers, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday approved the policy formulated for extending relief to the families of cotton picking farm labourers affected by the damage caused to the cotton crop by the pink bollworm (pest attack).

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Advocate General A.P.S. Deol -- a decision that is seen in political circles as lessening the "friction" between Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and Congress state chief Navjot Sidhu.

CHANDIGARH: In a historic decision to provide sand & gravel to public at large at minimum affordable rates, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday approved the Punjab State Sand and Gravel Mining Policy, 2021 to provide sand and gravel at Rs. 5.50/cubic feet across the state.

CHANDIGARH: In a major decision to regularize the services of the employees working on contract, adhoc, work charged, daily wages and temporary basis, the Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved the ‘The Punjab Protection and Regularization of Contractual Employees Bill-2021’ to be introduced in the forthcoming session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha for enactment.

CHANDIGARH: In a major relief to the people across the state, the Punjab Cabinet on Sunday approved to reduce the amount of interest from 15% per annum (simple interest) to 7.5 per annum (simple interest) to be charged on the amount of enhancement recoverable from allottees of Improvement Trust.

CHANDIGARH: Acceding to the demand of state employees and pensioners, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday has decided to enhance 11% Dearness Allowance (DA) from the existing 17% to 28% w.e.f July 1, 2021.

CHANDIGARH: In a bonanza to the people of Punjab on Diwali, the Punjab Cabinet on Monday decided to reduce the power tariff to domestic sector consumers having connected load upto 7 KW by Rs.3 per unit. As a result of this, 69 Lakhs Domestic Consumers out of total 71.75 Lakh are going to get benefited. The details are as below:

LUDHIANA: The Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday approved summoning of the 16th Special Session of 15th Punjab Vidhan Sabha on November 8, 2021 to oppose Centre's notification extending the jurisdiction of BSF from 15 km to 50 km along the international border besides repealing the three black farm laws.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi today gave big relief to the urban and rural water consumers and levied a fixed monthly fee of Rs.50 across all categotiers.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu along with Cabinet ministers and leaders were detained on Thursday on the Haryana-Uttar Pradesh border in Saharanpur as they were heading towards Lakhimpur Kheri where nine people were killed in violence that erupted during farmers' protests on Sunday (October 3).

CHANDIGARH: At the onset of the Cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday observed a two minutes silence to pay homage to the farmers who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident of Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh on October 3.

CHANDIGARH: 15 new cabinet ministers were today inducted into Charanjot Singh Channi government in Punjab. Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office to the ministers.

CHANDIGARH: Confusion in Congress governent in Punjab continued till last minute and at leaset one name from the list of cabinet ministers was changed today. It is shocking news for Kuljit Singh Nagra to see he is being replaced by Randip Singh Nabha. Nagra's name was among the list of 15 ministers which came to light yesterday.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Charanjit Singh Channi has fnally decided the names of his cabinet and he me the Governor Banwarilal Purohit to submit the list of ministers. Governor has fixed time of 4.30 PM on September 26 (Sunday) to aminsiter oath of office to new ministers. 

CHANDIGARH:BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh today questioned if the new Punjab chief minister Charanjit Channi was being "bulldozed" by Punjab PCC president Navjot Sidhu.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday in its maiden meeting discussed the various pro-poor initiatives to be implemented in a time bound manner. It was decided that these pro-poor initiatives will be launched from October 2, 2021 to mark the birth anniversary of father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet on Friday gave the go-ahead for the appointment of Gursher Singh as Excise and Taxation Inspector on compassionate grounds, in one-time relaxation without the case being treated as a precedent.

CHANDIGARH: 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.

CHANDIGARH: 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.

CHANDIGARH:The Punjab Cabinet on Thursday approved waiver of loans, upto Rs.50,000 each, of the loaness of the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation (PSCFC) and Punjab Backward Classes Land Development and Finance Corporation (BACKFINCO).

CHANDIGARH:Fulfilling the commitment made by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to the state’s sportspersons who brought laurels in the recent Tokyo Olympics, the Punjab Cabinet on Thursday decided on amendment to rules to pave the way for a special employment dispensation for outstanding sportspersons.

CHANDIGARH:To enhance the efficiencies of the Rural Development and Panchayats Department, the Punjab Cabinet on Thursday decided to raise the minimum qualification for Gram Sewaks from Matric to Graduation.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday gave its nod to Punjab Prison Rules, 2021, under the Prison Act 1894, thus superseding the archaic and outdated jails manual.

CHANDIGARH: Amid the escalating Covid crisis in the state, the Punjab Cabinet on Thursday gave post-facto approval for the procurement of hospital material and consumables worth Rs. 152.56 crore by the departments of Health & Family Welfare, Medical Education & Research and Police, for effective management of Covid.

CHANDIGARH: Amid the Oxygen crisis triggered by the spiralling Covid cases, the Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab government on Wednesday announced thrust sector status for all Oxygen product units, while appointing a nodal officer to coordinate with Customs Department for quick clearance of foreign aid.

CHANDIGARH: Fulfilling another key pre-poll promise of the Captain Amarinder Singh led government, the Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday approved hike in financial assistance under the Ashirwad Scheme from Rs.21,000 to Rs.51,000 per beneficiary, with directions to clear all payment backlog under the scheme.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday condoled the death of former state chief secretary YS Ratra.

CHANDIGARH: In a bid to effectively combat the Covid-19 emergency situation across the state, the Punjab Cabinet gave approval to allow the recruitment of 473 posts of staff nurses in Rajindra Hospital, Patiala and Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar attached with Government Medical Colleges of Patiala and Amritsar respectively by taking these posts out of the purview of Subordinate Service Selection Board to Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot through written test on the basis of merit.

CHANDIGARH: In a bid to improve efficacy of available resources and optimize the utilization of assets, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday gave approval for Redevelopment, Operation & Maintenance (O&M) of Circuit Houses at Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

CHANDIGARH: To facilitate seamless e-learning in government schools amid Covid-19 pandemic, the Punjab Cabinet on Monday approved modalities for distribution of mobile phones to nearly 2.15 lakh students of class 12 for the academic session 2021-22 under ‘Punjab Smart Connect Scheme’.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Cabinet Ministers including Mr. Sadhu Singh Dharmsot Social Justice, Empowerment & Minorities Minister, Mr. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Rural Development & Panchayat Minister, and Mrs. Aruna Chaudhary today paid floral tribute to a stalwart in the scholarly world Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary.

CHANDIGARH: Decks have been cleared for the establishment of the Enforcement Directorate, announced by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh earlier this month, to check illegal mining in Punjab.

CHANDIGARH: Convicted prisoners in Punjab will now be eligible for remission from time to time, instead of just once, under the amendment to the Remission Policy 2010, approved on Wednesday by the state cabinet.

CHANDIGARH: In a bid to streamline the functioning of cattle pounds run by the government in the districts, and to effectively redress of the menace of stray animals, the Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday gave approval for running these cattle pounds in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet on Friday approved the upgradation of Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University and Sardar Beant Singh State University to state-level universities.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet on Friday gave approval to release payment of Rs. 36.70 crore to the Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation (PAFC) on account of administrative charges for the work done by it during Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2019-20.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday gave go-ahead to introduce the Punjab Abadi Deh (Record of Right) Bill, 2021 in the ongoing budget session of Vidhan Sabha.

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.

CHANDIGARH: To achieve better operational efficiency through effective delivery of healthcare services to the people across the state, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday gave approval to transfer 507 vacant posts of Rural Medical Officers (RMOs) along with other posts of contractual para-medical and class-IV of the Subsidiary Health Centres from the Department of Rural Development & Panchayat back to the Health & Family Welfare.

CHANDIGARH:In a bid to bring far more efficiency, and streamline the functioning of Excise & Taxation, Town & Country Planning, Medical Education & Research and Rural Development and Panchayats, the Punjab Cabinet on Monday approved the restructuring plans of these four departments.

CHANDIGARH: To simplify the procedure for realization of motor vehicle tax and its refund where applicable, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday gave approval to amend Section 3 and Schedule of the Punjab Motor Vehicle Taxation Act, 1924 (Amended).

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday condoled the sad and untimely demise of legendary Punjabi folk singer Sardool Sikandar, with Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announcing that his government will clear the deceased’s hospital dues of Rs 10 lakh.

CHANDIGARH: The Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new EWS Policy, paving the way for construction of more than 25000 houses for the economically weaker sections, with developers and authorities required to develop 5% of project area for EWS housing.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday led the Council of Ministers in thanking the people of the state for the resounding verdict in favour of the Congress and validation of the state government’s pro-people and pro-farmer policies in the recently concluded civic elections.

CHANDIGARH: To facilitate villagers/owners to monetise property rights and avail various benefits provided by Government departments/institutions and banks, the Punjab Cabinet on Friday approved implementation of Mission Lal Lakir in all the villages across the state.

CHANDIGARH: To bolster efficiency in the functioning of Urban Local Bodies, the Punjab Cabinet led by Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday approved the creation of 22 posts of Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development) at all district headquarters in the state in place of Regional Deputy Directors.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government has decided to revise the nearly 90-year-old fee structure under the Indian Partnership Act, 1932, to bring the same at par with other states.

CHANDIGARH: To facilitate new industrial projects to take off expeditiously without delay, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday gave the nod to amend the Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion Act, 2016 for incorporating provisions for automated deemed approval of various regulatory clearances.

CHANDIGARH:The Punjab government has approved special provisions in the rules to provide government jobs to one of the family members/kin of each of the four minors killed in the Maur Mandi bomb blast of January 31, 2017.

CHANDIGRH: The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday approved the Punjab Excise Policy 2021-22 with a projected target to mop up Rs.7002 crores through excise revenues as against the current year’s revenue of Rs.5794 crore, showing an increase of 20%.

CHANDIGARH: With a view to give further impetus to overall infrastructure development across the state, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday gave a go ahead to levy Special Infrastructure Development (ID) Fee to be deposited in the Development Fund of Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB).

CHANDIGARH: In a bid to preserve the glorious heritage of state, the Punjab Cabinet on Monday gave approval for acquisition, conservation and use of Mubarik Manzil Palace, Malerkotla in district Sangrur.

CHANDIGARH: To bring far more efficiency in the functioning of Information & Public Relations department in the changed scenario, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday gave approval to its restructuring plan.

CHANDIGARH: The Captain Amarinder Singh led Cabinet on Wednesday approved certain amendments to the Punjab Civil Services Rules for granting new pay scales (matrix) on the pattern of the 7th Central Pay Commission for all fresh recruitments to State Government and its entities.

CHANDIGARH: To enhance efficiency in the functioning of the Directorate of State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT) and District Institutes of Education Training (DIETs), the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday gave approval for the creation of separate cadres of their personnel.

CHANDIGARH: In a significant decision, the Punjab Cabinet on Thursday relaxed the upper age limit for contractual employees of various categories working under the Punjab Government to apply for the posts to be filled up through direct recruitment. The cabinet has decided to relax the provisions of Rule 5 and 5-A of the Punjab Civil Services (General and Common Conditions of Service) Rules, 1994 under Rule 19 of the above rules.

CHANDIGARH:The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday gave in-principle approval for setting up of a Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) Plant by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) at the now closed Cooperative Sugar Mills at Rakhra in Patiala.