DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

The Punjab Cabinet Thursday gave a nod for convening the budget session of the state assembly from March 1 till 15 while the state budget will be presented on March 5. A decision in this regard was taken by the council of ministers in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Sharing details of the Cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the state Budget Session of the Punjab Assembly will be convened from March 1 till 15. The Budget for the financial year 2024-25 will be presented on March 5, he further said while speaking to reporters.

The Budget Session will commence with the governor's address on March 1, he added.

The debate on the governor's address will be conducted on March 4 and the discussion on the budget estimates will be conducted on March 6, he said.

In another decision, the Cabinet approved an ex-gratia grant, as a special case, to the family of home guard Jaspal Singh, who was killed on duty at Sultanpur Lodhi last year.

The state government has equated the "supreme sacrifice" of the home guard volunteer with police officers, residents of Punjab serving in paramilitary forces and Army jawans, said an official release.

Singh was killed when a group of 'Nihangs' allegedly resorted to unprovoked firing in Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala in November last year. The incident took place when policemen tried to get Gurdwara Akal Bunga Sahib in Sultanpur Lodhi vacated from a faction of 'Nihangs'.

The Cabinet also gave approval for setting up of 'MSME Punjab' wing in the Department of Industries and Commerce for boosting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the state.

The 'MSME Punjab' will work towards enhancing competitiveness of MSMEs, ensuring a steady flow of credit from financial institutions and banks to MSMEs, enabling them to fuel their expansion and innovation, according to the release.

It will also provide hand-holding to the MSMEs in adopting advanced technologies and modernising their operations to stay ahead in the global marketplace, facilitating setting up of common facility centres in the areas of modern testing facilities, etc. There are about eight lakh MSMEs in the state.

The Cabinet also gave the consent to amend the 'The East Punjab War Awards Act 1948' by placing an amendment Bill in the Assembly to double the 'War Jagir' (financial assistance) from the existing Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000, said the release.

The state government gives 'War Jagir' to the parents whose only child or two to three children had served in the Indian Army during the Second World War, National Emergency 1962 and 1971.

Currently, there are 83 beneficiaries getting benefit of this scheme.

In another decision, the Cabinet gave approval to amend the Teachers Transfer Policy, 2019 for teachers falling in the exempted category.

The Cabinet further gave nod to finalise the service rules of group B and C employees in the department of Defense services welfare after restructuring of the department.

After military service, group B and C employees are appointed in the department and now their service rules have been finalized, said the statement.

The Cabinet also gave approval to the design wing of the water resources department to provide design and consultancy services to private entities on lines similar to that of the government-owned aided colleges and staff of engineering colleges, said the statement.
(editor@dailyworld.in)