Chandigarh, December 18
The Punjab Council of Ministers at its meeting held here this evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal doled out largesses to a cross-section of people, including village “nambardars”, transporters, employees of Ranjit Sagar Dam, evacuee property holders, bakers and sportspersons.

The bonanzas offered today may be aimed at wooing voters back in the SAD-BJP fold in the coming Assembly elections. In fact, in almost all previous meetings, the Council of Ministers has been doling out similar largesses.

The council decided to give an honorarium of Rs 500 per month to village “nambardars”, the honorary revenue officials at the village level.

It also decided to reduce special road tax from Rs 5.75 to Rs 5.18 per km per seat on all state government and other commercial public transport vehicles operating in the state.

By yet another decision, the council decided to grant one increment each to all eligible employees of the Ranjit Sagar Dam in recognition of their hard work in completing the project.

Any person who is in possession of evacuee land in villages since kharif of 1994 can apply for conferment of ownership rights up to January 31, 2002, it decided.

The council approved the exemption of bakery goods manufactured in the state from the payment of any sales tax.

By another far reaching decision, it waived the educational qualification of BA/BSc for outstanding sportspersons seeking job of a Deputy Superintendent of Police to benefit some members of the Indian Junior World Cup champion team, including the top scorer of the Hobart Tournament, Deepak Thakur.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister assured a delegation of the Massih community that Massih Bhavans would be constructed at Gurdaspur, Ferozepore and Amritsar. He promised that nominees of the community would be given proper representation in various boards, corporations and other bodies of the state.

The delegation led by Mr Munnavar Massih, member of the Subordinate Services Selection Board, demanded that the community must be given a Rajya Sabha seat and an Assembly seat each from Gurdaspur, Ferozepore and Amritsar districts.