Punjab Cabinet approves 359 agriculture posts : The Tribune India

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 26

The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today gave approval to fill 359 vacancies through direct recruitment in various cadres on the technical side of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

What else was decided

• Nod to fill 80 posts of Civil Judge (Junior Division)-cum-Judicial Magistrate through the High Court
• Ex post facto nod to extension of service of 497 veterinary pharmacists and 498 Class IV/safai sevaks
• Approval for Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme of the PSPCL to improve the quality of power supply

A spokesperson for the Chief Minister’s office said there was an acute shortage of officers/employees in the department due to which its working had been affected adversely. These posts — 200 of Agriculture Development Officer, 150 of Agriculture Sub-Inspector and nine of Laboratory Assistant — would be filled without any restructuring.

The Cabinet also decided to fill 80 posts of Civil Judge (Junior Division)-cum-Judicial Magistrate through the Punjab and Haryana High Court by bringing it out the purview of the Punjab Public Service Commission, Patiala. The decision will help expedite the process of recruiting new judicial officers to ensure speedy dispensation of work at the subordinate courts.

To provide efficient animal health services in the 582 veterinary hospitals across the state, the Cabinet also gave ex post facto approval for continuation of the services of service providers (497 veterinary pharmacists and 498 Class-IV/safai sewaks) already working on a contract basis as a stop-gap arrangement for a period of one year (from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023).

To ensure smooth functioning of the Rural Development and Panchayats Department, the Cabinet accorded the green signal to establish a new subdivision office in the technical wing of the department at SAS Nagar. Six posts — one of Sub-Divisional Officer, two of junior engineer, one of junior draftsman, one of clerk and one of peon have been created.

The Cabinet also approved the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme proposed by the PSPCL to improve the quality and reliability of power supply to consumers by strengthening its distribution system.

The Cabinet gave its nod to the new Punjab Food Grains Labour Policy-2022 and the revised Punjab Food Grains Transportation Policy-2022 to ensure wider competitive participation with transparency.

This comes close on the heels of the arrest of former Food and Supply Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu for “preferential” allotment of tenders, allegedly for “monetary considerations.

Under the new policy, all vehicles to be used for transportation will have a vehicle-tracking system linked to Anaj Kharid Portal; the transport and labour policies have been separated; and those having no prior experience can apply. The policy will give an opportunity to labour associations to directly participate in the tender process.

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