Restructuring of 4 more depts gets cabinet nod

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab cabinet on Thursday approved restructuring of four more departments, including the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), to create more employment opportunities and to augment efficiencies.

Besides the PPCB, the departments that will be restructured in this phase are governance reforms, environment and climate change, and employment generation, skill development and training, an official spokesperson said after the virtual cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

The restructuring of the governance reforms department would lead to creation of 56 new posts while doing away with 75 obsolete ones. “The 20 new posts across cadres will be filled through Punjab Public Service Commission, Punjab Subordinate Service Selection Board , etc,” he said. In the employment generation, skill development and training department, 29 new posts of different cadres have been approved for creation while 57 existing ones will be done away with. Currently, the department has 615 sanctioned posts of different cadres, of which 369 are filled.

The restructuring of the directorate of environment and climate change (DECC), wherein 24 new posts have been cleared with seven abolished, the government aims to strengthen the implementation of the state environmental action plans to ensure clean air, clean rivers, waste management, sustainable environment, climate change and related policy matters.

DEPARTMENTS THAT WILL BE RESTRUCTURED ARE GOVERNANCE REFORMS, PPCB, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE, AND EMPLOYMENT GENERATION

Scholarship amount enhanced

To incentivise Class 10 students of government schools, the government has decided to enhance the Dr Hargobind Khurana Scholarship amount from ₹2,500 to ₹3,000 per month. The scheme, being implemented by the school education department since August 1, 2013, will also now be amended to promote brilliance among students by making it applicable to those obtaining 90% marks or above instead of the earlier ceiling of 80%, said the spokesperson.