Cabinet nod to prisoners’ parole from 12 to 16 weeks
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE INITIATIVE WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE OTHER PRISONERS TO MAINTAIN DISCIPLINE IN JAILS
CHANDIGARH:The Punjab cabinet, on Tuesday, gave its nod to allow regular parole to prisoners with good conduct from the present three weeks to four weeks, and total parole from 12 weeks to 16 weeks during a calendar year. Though the government has said that this has been done to mark the year-long celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of first Sikh master, Guru Nanak, the move is aimed to pacify Sikh hardliners, who have called off their morcha at Bargari last week. The release of Sikh prisoners in jails across the country was one of the demands of the morcha.
Cabinet ministers Tript Rajinder Bajwa and Sukhjinder Randhawa, who had met the Sikh leaders on Sunday, had said the release of prisoners under Acts related to terrorism or those imprisoned in other states was not within the state’s purview.
The cabinet also approved the bill to amend Section 3 (sub-section 2) of the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1962 to increase the regular parole given to the prisoners with good conduct. The bill will be brought in the session of the Punjab assembly beginning from December 13.
A government spokesman said the initiative would also encourage other prisoners to maintain discipline in jails. A 15-day parole is granted to prisoners on the death of any of their family members. There is a provision of granting 120-day parole to a female prisoner on account of delivery of her child.
Apart from this, six-week parole is given to the prisoners for marriage of children, agricultural purpose, serious damage to life or property of the member of the family caused by natural calamity and for critical condition of any member of the family on account of accident and on account of delivery of child by his wife. This parole would now be given maximum up to 16 weeks during a calendar year and shall be availed quarterly.
₹60 LAKH RELIEF TO SIKH FAMILIES HIT BY SHILLONG VIOLENCE
The Cabinet also approved ₹60 lakh compensation to Sikh community for damage caused to their properties during violence in Shillong. Of the total amount, ₹50 lakh would be provided to Khalsa Middle School, Bara Bazar, for reconstruction as its old building has been declared unsafe.
A four-member delegation led by cooperation and jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had visited Shillong for taking stock of damage caused to the properties of Sikh community in the violence.
NOD TO GST AMENDMENT BILL
In another decision, the cabinet also gave its nod to introduce the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Ordinance-2018 in the House session.
The ordinance was promulgated on October 23 to simplify the process of filing returns and the payment of tax with minimum paperwork. As per Clause 2 of Article 213 of the Constitution, the ordinance shall be laid before the house for conversion into an Act.