After Delhi debacle, Mann clears 60,000 jobs, arrears, housing

Days after the Aam Aadmi Party’s defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, the Punjab Cabinet today announced plans to fill 60,000 vacancies in the government and private sectors, clear Rs 14,000-crore pending pay arrears and provide housing for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

Populist measures

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• 60,000 jobs to be given in govt and private sectors
• Rs 14,000 cr arrears of employees, pensioners to be cleared
• EWS families to be provided houses in various cities
• Special fast-track courts to be set up for cases of NRIs

The decisions appeared aimed at wooing the youth, nearly 6 lakh government employees and pensioners, and the marginalised sections. The Cabinet also approved the establishment of special fast-track courts to handle cases of NRIs, a crucial voter base for the AAP in Punjab. The courts are expected to be set up in Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Ludhiana and Moga.

Of the 60,000 posts to be filled, 2,000 would be in the Education Department, said a government spokesperson after the three-hour meeting, which was chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Though the next Punjab Assembly elections are still two years away, the Cabinet decisions suggest efforts to woo the electorate by promoting a “Punjab model of governance”. However, the cash-strapped government may struggle to generate resources to implement the populist steps. It owes Rs 14,000 crore to the nearly three lakh employees and as many pensioners in the form of Sixth Pay Commission arrears from January 1, 2016, to July 1, 2021.

Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said from March onwards, they would start releasing Rs 200 crore in arrears each month. “The dues of pensioners will be cleared first. Those above 85 years will get their arrears first, followed by the 75-85 and 60-75 age groups. We aim to clear all dues by 2027-28,” he said.

Cheema said the payments could be cleared even earlier if the government managed to secure higher revenue receipts. To gather funds for the housing scheme, the government aims to first monetise the 5 per cent land reserved under the EWS quota in each housing project.

Cheema said since 1995, nearly 700 acres of land had accrued under the EWS pool (5 per cent in each project) in various projects in Mohali, Ludhiana and Amritsar. “The land will be sold to buy 1,500 acres of land elsewhere in Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Sangrur and Bathinda. The land will be used to provide housing schemes for the EWS,” he said.

Meanwhile, a proposal by the Revenue Department to re-impose stamp duty on the transfer of property among blood relatives was reportedly not cleared for the Cabinet agenda.

The Cabinet also decided to optimally utilise the external development charges for development of infrastructure in the periphery of colonies.