Sniffer dogs in jails, crop loss relief up to Rs 20,000/acre: Here’s what else Punjab Cabinet approved

During a Cabinet meeting on Monday, the Punjab government approved several key decisions, including the deployment of sniffer dogs in jails to strengthen security and curb drug trafficking inside prisons, an official spokesperson of the chief minister’s office said.

The Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also approved revised compensation rates of up to Rs 20,000 per acre for farmers and residents affected by natural calamities, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said that six sniffer dogs will be purchased from the Border Security Force (BSF) or Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to prevent criminal activities from inside the jails.

The Cabinet also granted exemption under Section 63(1) of the Punjab Transparency in Public Procurement Act, 2019, to facilitate the purchase of the sniffer dogs, the spokesperson further said.

To provide adequate relief to farmers and residents affected by natural calamities, the Cabinet approved a revision in compensation rates. Farmers will now get Rs 10,000 per acre for crop loss of 26 to 75 per cent and Rs 20,000 per acre for loss of 76 to 100 per cent.

Compensation for partially damaged houses has been raised to Rs 40,000 per unit from Rs 6,500 earlier. The additional relief will be borne by the state government as the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) allocation from the Centre remains unchanged, the spokesperson added.

Water Resources Minister Barinder Goyal said 85 sites have been identified for desilting rivers, including the Beas and Sutlej. Around 190 crore cubic feet of sand will be extracted, generating revenue of Rs 840 crore for the state exchequer, he said.

The Cabinet also cleared amendments to the Punjab Minor Mineral Rules, 2013, allowing the state to levy a fee on vehicles carrying minor minerals entering Punjab. This will help cover operational costs of interstate checkposts and improve their efficiency.

To simplify and ease the process of determining the reserve price of the various sites of development authorities, the Cabinet also consented to amend an e-auction policy to fix reserve price of plots.

According to the amendment in the prevalent e-auction policy, reserve prices will be determined by the valuation of three empanelled independent valuers from nationalised banks. The reserve price will remain valid for a calendar year.

The Cabinet further approved a policy for allotting land to cooperative societies to construct multi-storey flats under the Group Housing Scheme – 2025, aimed at boosting affordable and planned urban housing in Punjab.

In another decision, the Cabinet gave nod to a one-time extension of up to five years for promoters to complete approved mega housing projects. The extension will be available on payment of Rs 25,000 per acre per year.

It also gave ex-post facto approval for setting up a sub-committee to oversee the transition of rolling mills in Mandi Gobindgarh and Khanna from coal to piped natural gas (PNG).