The North News
Chandigarh, September 8
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, who chaired a cabinet meeting virtually from hospital, announced a series of decisions on Monday aimed at easing the burden on flood-affected residents and strengthening state governance.
The cabinet approved the “Jisda Khet, Usda Ret” policy, granting farmers the right to remove and sell sand and silt deposited in their fields by recent floods. Officials said farmers can clear and sell sand without permits until 31 December, with the process exempt from mining regulations.
In what the government described as the country’s highest relief package, farmers will also receive compensation of up to ₹20,000 per acre for crop loss.
The Cabinet cleared a range of other measures, including amendments to the Punjab Town Improvement Act, sanction for prosecution of former minister Bikram Singh Majithia under corruption laws, and approval of the custom milling policy for the 2025–26 kharif marketing season.
Further approvals included changes to the state’s minor mineral policy, the formation of a Punjab State Mineral Exploration Trust, and regularisation of more than 1,000 non-teaching staff under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan.
Education rules were amended to open new promotion avenues for teachers, while guidelines for community service under new criminal laws were introduced.
In health, the Cabinet approved pay protection for rural medical officers transferred to the health department, and announced a new policy to honour government doctors.
The police force will also see a major expansion, with 1,600 new posts of inspectors, sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors created to strengthen investigations into organised crime and drug trafficking cases.
