Ludhiana: In a Labour Day (May 1) gift to the working class, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced to earmark 10 per cent amount of compensation meant for crop loss due to any sort of natural calamity for the farm labourers. A decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet in its meeting held here at the local Circuit house under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Mann.

Divulging the details, the Chief Minister, while interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of the Cabinet meeting, said that this landmark initiative is aimed at benefitting the farm labourers who usually are bereft of such compensation despite the fact that they suffer a lot due to nature's fury. 

He said that now not only the farmers but the labourer will also be compensated for the loss of their work due to natural calamities. Bhagwant Mann said that this is the gift of the state government to the entire working class who give their sweat and toil for producing the crops, on the upcoming Labour Day on May 1.

The Chief Minister also announced that the state government will also soon start a massive registration drive to register the working class so that they can get benefits from the various central and state-sponsored schemes. He said that most of these schemes lapse as there is no proper registration of the labourers but now this will be ensured to benefit the working class. Bhagwant Mann also bemoaned that the successive state governments have hitherto ignored this noble cause.      

The Chief Minister further said that the state government has kick-started its flagship program namely 'Sarkaar Aapke Dwaar' by holding a Cabinet meeting here at the local Circuit House adding that the move is aimed at ensuring the well-being of the people and holistic development of the state. 

He said that now Cabinets will not be confined only in the rooms of the Secretariat but they will be held in the villages, towns, and cities across the state so that people are facilitated. Bhagwant Mann said that with this boost will be given to the development of the state on one hand and will facilitate the people by getting their routine administrative works done on the other.

The Chief Minister further said that he had already directed the officers especially the Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendent of Police to enhance their field visits. He said that the aim is that the people should not have to run from pillar to post for getting their routine administrative work done. Rather, Bhagwant Mann said that the government will provide facilities to the people at their doorsteps through such schemes.

The Cabinet also gave the nod for filling 87 vacancies of direct recruitment in the various cadres of the Local Audit Wing, which will pave the way for recruitment against the vacant posts of 60 Junior Auditors, One Section Officer, one Junior Scale Stenographer, three Steno- Typists and 22 Clerks. This will streamline the pre-audit/post-audit of Panchayati Raj Institutes (PRIs), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), pupil funds, and Universities. This will further enable the state government to get Finance Commission grants from the Government of India Ministry in a smooth and hassle-free manner.

In order to promote sports culture in the state, the Cabinet also gave a green signal to restructure, the Punjab State Sports (Group-A', Group 'B' & Group 'C) Service Rules, 2023. All fresh recruitment will be made in various cadres of the sports Department (Group A, Group B and Group C) as per the newly notified Rules. Similarly, the officers/employees working in different cadres in the sports department will get opportunities for promotion during their service.

The Cabinet also accorded consent to create a new block Ramdas by taking out 75 Gram Panchayats from Ajnala block in the Amritsar district. The creation of block Ramdas will give a boost to the developmental activities in these 75 villages. Likewise, the Cabinet also approved the creation of the post of Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) for efficaciously managing the affairs of the newly created block. /BI/