Cabinet nod to amend excise, land reform Acts

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 22

The Cabinet today approved the introduction of the draft Punjab Excise Act, 1914 (Amendment) Bill, 2017 allowing the sale of liquor through licensed vends within the limits of municipal areas and checking smuggling of distilled spirits.

The Bill will be introduced in the Assembly session.

An amendment to Section 26-A of the Act provides that the condition of sale of liquor through licensed vends at a distance of 500 m away from national and state highways will not apply to the licensed liquor vends within the municipal limits.

With amendments to Sections 72, 78 and 81, smuggling of liquor in the state will be controlled as bringing foreign-distilled spirit into Punjab in quantities exceeding 12 bottles of 750 ml each will now be a non-bailable offence.

Vehicles carrying more than three cases of liquor will be confiscated and would be released during trial only against cash or bank guarantee equivalent to the value of liquor confiscated.

Relief to farmers

The Cabinet also approved amendments to Acts to provide relief to debt-ridden farmers by promoting crop diversification and rural infrastructural development in the state.

The amendments relate to Section 5(1) of the Punjab Rural Development Act, 1987, increasing the rural development fee from 2 per cent to 3 per cent, and to Sections 23 (1), 26 and 28 of the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1961, to provide relief to farmers.

The Cabinet decided to table Bills on the amendments in the session.

The amendments will enable the Punjab Mandi Board and the Rural Development Board to raise loans for the crop loan waiver scheme.

Other decisions

The Cabinet agreed to bring a Bill in the forthcoming session to amend the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1972, to exclude banana, guava trees and vineyard lands from the definition of orchard. With this, the base of agricultural production of the state can be diversified from the monoculture of wheat and paddy towards fruits and vegetables.

The Council of Minister approved an amendment to the Punjab Land Reforms Act, 1972, to ensure that agricultural land which has been utilised for non-agricultural purposes such as housing, industrial and infrastructure projects are kept out of the purview of this Act.