Chandigarh, Apr 11 (PTI) The Punjab Cabinet Friday announced an ordinance to provide adequate representation to members of Scheduled Caste community for contractual engagement as law officers in the state by reducing the income criteria, a statement said.

The cabinet nod came after a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

It is aimed to relax income criteria for the contractual engagement of law officers belonging to the SC community in the state.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that they have decided to reduce the income criteria by 50 per cent for the law officers belonging to the SC community to be considered for certain positions at the advocate general’s office.

In another decision, the Cabinet also gave consent to enhance the retirement age of the doctors and professors serving in Medical Colleges under Medical Education and Research Department from existing 62 years to 65 years.

This will help in imparting quality education in the Medical Colleges continuously, thereby immensely benefitting the students in these colleges, the statement said.

The cabinet also gave the nod to hire specialist doctors retiring from the service to cope with the shortage of doctors in government hospitals. These doctors will be hired annually on need-basis in the larger public interest, the statement said.

The retirement age of the specialist doctors has been increased from 58 years to 65 years, with re-employment on a contractual basis.

Meanwhile, regarding the decision pertaining to the law officers, the cabinet announced an ordinance to amend the Punjab Law Officers Engagement Act 2017, the statement read.

“This step is aimed to relax income criteria for contractual engagement of law officers belonging to SC Community in the state. The purpose of relaxation in income criteria is to provide adequate representation to members of SC community for contractual engagement as law officers in AG (Advocate General’s) office, Punjab,” it said.

The Cabinet has also accorded its approval to the One Time Relaxation (OTR) policy regarding non-construction fees and outstanding allotment amounts for allottees of the Improvement Trusts of the state. This decision will give a major relief to the allottees as the penal interest will be waived, the statement said.

To maintain geographical and administrative contiguity, efficiency, cost optimisation and legislative synergy, the statement said the Cabinet also gave the green signal for reorganisation and rationalisation of the existing blocks in the state.

There are 154 blocks in the state currently and due to some ambiguities, several problems were being faced to run administration smoothly in these blocks. PTI SUN HIG HIG