Cabinet okays parole benefit for prisoners

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 11

To mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the state Cabinet today gave its nod to increase the parole period of prisoners with good conduct from the existing 12 weeks to 16 weeks during a calendar year.

The government will amend the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1962, and introduce a Bill in this regard in the coming session. The prisoners with good conduct can avail the 16-week parole in one go in view of the 550th Gurpurb. Later on, this parole of 16 weeks could be availed in a calendar year on quarterly basis.

Rs 60 lakh for Shillong Sikhs

The Cabinet sanctioned Rs 60 lakh as compensation to the Sikh community for damage caused to their properties during violence in Shillong. Of this amount, Rs 50 lakh would be provided to Khalsa Middle School, Bara Bazaar, for reconstruction as its old building has been declared unsafe. The monetary assistance would be given to those who had suffered loss of property in the violence. The Chief Minister had sent a four-member delegation led by Cooperation and Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa to Shillong for accessing the damage.

Amendment to state GST

The Cabinet will table the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha session, scheduled to begin from December 13. The amendment aims to simplify the process of filing returns and payment of tax with minimum paperwork.