Punjab Govt Ends All Discretionary Quotas

Punjabs new Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal yesterday announced abolition of discretionary quotas of all kinds and declared that no minister of his Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government would draw salary.

Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh after his first cabinet meeting, Badal also announced abolition of land revenue and octroi in Punjab, and said that power for irrigation operations would be provided free of cost to farmers.

From tomorrow, no electricity tariff would be charged from farmers for operating tubewells and for canal water irrigation, the Chief Minister said.

Replying to a question, Badal said all types of discretionary quotas of the Chief Minister and other ministers stood abolished in the matter of residential, industrial plots or flats as well as in admission to engineering and medical colleges.

 

Everything will be decided on merit, he said, adding that a relentless war would be waged against corruption.

The word corruption would be removed from the political history of Punjab, he said.

The Akali Dal-BJP government also decided to give Rs 5,100 as shagun on the marriage of girls belonging to schedule castes.

The new government also appointed three committees of ministers and secretaries on rationalisation of sales tax, ways and means to abolish the inspector raj, to study the impact of abolition of octroi on the revenue of municipalities and increase the income of civic bodies. The committees have to submit their reports within one month.

The state government is yet to calculate the financial implications of these decisions.

However, experts say that providing free power for irrigation purposes to the farmers will cost the state at least Rs 275 crore a year.

The Chief Minister said the auction of liquor vends in the state would be made transparent.

The state government expects to collect at least Rs 1,000 crore from the auction next month.

The state cabinet also decided to institute a Maharaja Ranjit Singh award under which the most honest and efficient state government employees every year will be given cash prizes.

Another award has been instituted for those who would provide information of corruption.

It has been decided to set up an agriculture produce export corporation with a capital of Rs 10 crore to boost the export of agricultural produce from the state.

The state cabinet also decided to simplify the procedures for the grant of old-age pension in the state and release 170 people serving life term in different jails of the state.

Shiromani Akali Dal, which won a massive mandate in the February 7 polls, had promised abolition of land revenue, octroi and power charges for tubewells in its election manifesto.

Most major decisions taken yesterday also form part of the common minimum programme chalked out by the Akali Dal-BJP alliance.

BIG BANG Beginning

Discretionary quotas abolished

No minister would draw salary

Free power for irrigation operations

Rs 5,100 as shagun on the marriage of SC girls

Committee on rationalisation of sales tax

Transparent auction of liquor vends

Cash prize for honest and efficient employees