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Punjab cabinet gives nod to OTS for regularisation of water, sewerage connections
The move would lead to regularisation of at least 93,000 connections leading to increase in revenue of urban local bodies
The Punjab cabinet on Monday approved one-time settlement (OTS) scheme for regularisation of unauthorised water supply and sewerage connections and recovery of arrears, months ahead of the state assembly polls.
The move would lead to regularisation of at least 93,000 connections leading to increase in revenue of urban local bodies (ULBs). The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh through a virtual mode.
The meeting, held after two months, was the first since the appointment of Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Punjab Congress chief, preceded by a tussle during which some cabinet ministers and MLAs were critical of the chief minister in public.
A spokesperson of the chief minister’s office (CMO) said under the domestic category, ₹200 per connection ( ₹100 each for water supply and sewerage) would be charged as a one-time fee for regularisation of water supply and sewerage connection for a plot measuring up to 125 square yards, ₹500 per connection for plot size between 125 to 250 square yards and ₹1,000 per connection for over 250 square yards plot.
In the commercial and institutional category, ₹1,000 per connection ( ₹500 each for water supply and sewerage) would be charged for plot measuring up to 250 square yard and Rs. 2,000 per connection ( ₹1,000 each for water supply and sewerage) for plot above 25 square yard.
No penalty would be charged if the fee is deposited within three months from the date of notification. For users who do not get their connection regularised in this period, 100% penalty would be charged.
Nod to private self-financed university
The cabinet also approved the establishment of a private, self-financed Plaksha University in Mohali’s IT city, to be functional from the upcoming session. The university will come up over 50.12 acre campus with a total investment of ₹1,145 crore.
New rules for ‘lal lakir’ properties
The cabinet also approved “The Abadi Deh (Record of Right) Rules, 2021,” to compile the record of rights of properties in “Lal Lakir” villages, said the spokesperson. The rules will also facilitate villagers’ monetise property rights and avail various benefits provided by the government departments. ‘Lal Lakir’ refers to land that is part of the village ‘’abadi’’ (habitation) and is used for non-agriculture purposes only.
For setting up retail outlets (petrol, diesel and CNG) in 12 locations at various prisons in the state under Punjab Prison Development Board (PPDB), the council of ministers approved waiver of (Change of Land Use). ₹48.77 lakh would be waived to set up the retail outlets at central jails in Patiala, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur, besides district jails of Sangrur and Ropar, new district jail and district jail of Nabha and sub jail and Fazilka.
Subsistence allowance for kin of Mosul victims
The cabinet approved subsistence allowance of ₹10,000 from October 2019 for family members of eight of the 27 people from the state who were killed by the terrorist outfit ISIS in Mosul in Iraq in 2014.
The allowance will be given to the parents of seven deceased. The wife of one deceased will also get the allowance. In cases of these eight men, their kin were not eligible for jobs on compassionate grounds under the state policy.
The cabinet cleared merger of Punjab Agro Juices Limited (PAJL) with Punjab agri export corporation limited (PAGREXCO). The new entity would be called ‘Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited’.
Besides amendments to the service rules of five state government departments, including home, animal husbandry, fisheries, school education and rural development & panchayats were allowed to fast-track the process of recruitment.
The cabinet also gave its nod to amend the rules concerning recruitment of pre-primary school teachers.
