Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 24

The Cabinet today took a number of important decisions, including approval to the ‘Guardians of Governance’ (GoG) scheme, formation of a sub-committee to work out modalities for closure of two state-owned thermal plants that had exceeded 25-year lifespan, one-time settlement scheme for rice millers and extension to service providers in the Veterinary Department.Besides, the Cabinet approved formulation of the District Mineral Foundation Rules to ensure implementation of development programmes in the areas affected by mining in the state.Besides ensuring compliance with the conditions imposed in the Environment Clearance and Mining Plan, the District Mineral Foundation Rules will enable the department concerned to take preventive measures to check illegal mining.Under the ‘Guardians of Governance’ scheme, which is aimed at ensuring efficient and effective implementation of government schemes at grassroots level, a monitoring mechanism has been put in place to ensure its smooth functioning at village, cluster, tehsil and district levels.The GoG scheme would be launched in a phased manner over a period of three years.The one-time settlement policy for defaulter rice millers paves the way for recovery of Rs 2,000 crore-Rs 2,400 crore of the whopping Rs 3,500-crore outstanding payments against undelivered rice.The Cabinet approved allotment of land to six entrepreneurs who ran their business from rented old sheds of Rural Industrial Development Centre (RIDC) in Banur.The land on which their units were located had been given to the Centre for establishment of Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI).As many as 16 additional information technology assistants will be engaged for administrative secretaries/secretaries to enable them monitor, review and implement the e-governance projects effectively. The assistants will be hired on outsourcing basis.During the meeting, the Cabinet also okayed raising the paddy procurement share of rice shellers located in border areas and constituting a three-member committee to fix and ensure minimum payment to labourers working in mandis in the ensuing procurement season.

DSP post for Harmanpreet

• The Cabinet okayed appointment of cricketer and Arjuna Award recipient Harmanpreet Kaur as DSP in the state police
• It also approved government jobs to two children of martyr Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh, who was beheaded by Pakistani troops near the Line of Control in May this year