Punjab cabinet approves restructuring of govt departments.
The Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday approved the restructuring of 10 departments, thus paving the way of boosting their functional efficacy through fresh recruitments and technical up-gradation. Speaking on the development, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that this will also pave the way for quickly filling up 50,000 posts over the next few months.
At a meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, it was decided that new and more relevant posts would be created, where required, in place of the many redundant ones lying vacant for a long time.
"The move marks a major shift towards modernisation of government departments to equip them to meet the contemporary operational challenges," an official statement said.
The 10 departments to be restructured are: labour, technical education and industrial training, PWD (B and R), animal husbandry, fisheries and dairy development, tourism and cultural affairs, local government, printing and stationery, sports and youth service welfare, defence services welfare, cooperation department.
As part of the restructuring exercise, as many 2,375 posts will be abolished in these departments with another 785 to be created in the first go, the statement said. It also said, "The government will recruit 50,000 people in 10 departments by March 31."
The Cabinet also approved certain amendments to the Punjab Civil Services Rules for granting new pay scales (matrix) on the pattern of the Seventh Central Pay Commission recommendations for all fresh recruits of the state government and its entities.
The amendment approved by the Cabinet stipulates that the expression "fixed monthly emoluments" for the employees, appointed to the service before the July 17, 2020, means the amount drawn monthly by a government employee equal to the minimum of the pay band of the service or post to which he is appointed.
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The amount shall not include grade pay, special pay, annual increment or any other allowance, except travelling allowance drawn with reference to the grade pay of the relevant service or post.
To "enhance efficiency in the functioning" of the Directorate of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and District Institutes of Education Training (DIETs), the Cabinet gave approval for the creation of separate cadre of their personnel.
It has been decided to notify separate rules for personnel of SCERT/DIETs, the statement said, adding the Cabinet accepted the proposal mooted by the School Education Department in this regard. Currently, all personnel of both SCERT and DIET are deputed from Directorate of DPI (School Education).
Meanwhile, the Punjab government decided to strengthen the security mechanism for all cash transportation activities in the state by regulating all private security agencies engaged in such activities under the umbrella of the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, (PSARA) 2005.
The cabinet gave the go-ahead to notify the Punjab Private Security Agencies (Private Security to Cash Transportation Activities) Rules, 2020, in pursuance of PSAR Act, 2005, which did not specifically cover the activities of the cash transportation agencies.
With the notification of the new rules, cash transportation agencies would be now required to obtain license from the State Controlling Authority.
Also, persons entrusted with security of the cash in transit would be needed to be suitably recruited, verified and trained as per the rules/guidelines laid down under the PSAR Act 2005, and the Cash Transportation Rules, 2020.
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(With inputs from PTI)
