To check sale of illegal lottery sales in the guise of online lottery, Punjab Government has banned the sale of all types of online lottery schemes in the State. The decision to ban the ‘Online Lottery Schemes’ was taken during the Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday.
The ban, under Section 5 of the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998, would not only check the spread of illegal lottery business, which was proliferating under the guise of online lotteries, but also give a boost to the state’s tax and non-tax revenue, said an official spokesperson after the Cabinet meeting.
The decision was prompted by the fact that lottery agents now seemed to be more interested in the sale of other states’ lotteries in Punjab.
As a result, illegal lottery schemes were mushrooming under the garb of online lottery ticket sale in the State at the cost of Punjab lottery schemes.
Punjab Government is of the firm view that in order to conduct the draws of paper lottery scheme properly and enhance the state’s revenue on this account, the Online Lottery Schemes draws must be completely banned to control the menace of illegal lotteries.
The Directorate of Lotteries has been asked to liaise with the police authorities to curb the illegal lotteries in the State of Punjab, and ADGP (Law and Order) has been appointed as nodal officer to initiate action against these illegal lotteries.
The Cabinet also gave approval to the prohibition of sale of computerized and online lotteries marketed and operated through vending machines, terminals and electronic machines, as well as online scheme tickets sold, organized, conducted or promoted through internet by any State within the Indian Territory or by a foreign country.
INDUSTRIES, COMMERCE DEPT, CONTROLLER OF STORES TO BE RESTRUCTURED
To streamline and make the functioning of state Industries and Commerce Department and its separate Controller of Stores wing more efficacious, the Cabinet has decided to restructure the same by creating 38 new posts in place of 683 old ones that were either obsolete or non-essential and had been lying vacant for long — leading to savings of about Rs 24.90 crore annually and enabling greater efficiency.
The Department of Industries and Commerce had 1644 sanctioned posts, of which 650 were lying vacant while the office of Controller of Stores had 84 sanctioned ones, with 33 being unfilled since long. The 38 new posts will be created in lieu of the 683 obsolete posts.
Spokesperson said that the initiative would go a long way in improving the business environment to spur growth and employment generation in the State.
With the changing industrial landscape, the need was felt to redefine the role, mandate and scope of services to be provided by the Department of Industries and Commerce and Controller of Stores.
Accordingly, detailed deliberations were held on restructuring the Department, keeping in view its aims and objectives.
DEPTS DIRECTED TO FILL CRITICAL POSTS
The Cabinet has directed all departments to expedite the process of filling up all critical vacant posts to ensure time-bound and effective implementation of important projects. This was imperative for the holistic and speedy development of the state in all its vital aspects, felt the Cabinet.
APPROVES RESTRUCTURING OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPT’S ENGINEERING WING
Cabinet also approved restructuring of the Rural Development and Panchayats Department’s engineering wing to ensure holistic rural development across the State.
Under its restructuring plan, the Cabinet also gave nod for recruitment of vacant feeding cadre posts and the vacancies that would result from restructuring.
The move would be instrumental in smooth and effective implementation of government policies and schemes in the rural sector, said the spokesperson.
PUNJAB TO GIVE PREFERENCE IN RESERVATION TO ESM, THEIR WARDS, GRANDCHILDREN OF GALLANTRY AWARDEES ON LINEAL HIERARCHY PRINCIPLE
In compliance with the observations made by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Punjab Cabinet on Friday decided to fix preference in reservation to ex-servicemen, wards of ex-servicemen or the grandchildren of gallantry award winners according to the widely prevalent Lineal Hierarchy principle.
Accepting the proposal mooted by the Department of Defence Services Welfare, the Cabinet gave its nod to amend Proviso 3 of Rule 4 of Punjab Recruitment of Ex-Servicemen Rules-1982.
The amended proviso envisages that when an ex-serviceman is not available for recruitment against a reserved vacancy, and further no wife or dependent child of an ex-serviceman is available for recruitment against a reserved vacancy, such a vacancy shall be reserved to be filled in by recruitment of the grandchild of a Gallantry Award
Winner.This will, however, only apply in case the benefit of reservation has not been availed of by any of the children or dependents of such winner or by the winner himself, subject to the conditions specified in the second proviso.
It may be recalled that the Punjab Government has already decided to give benefit of the reservation to the grandchildren of the gallantry award winners.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet approved a job to the next of kin of Major Ravi Inder Singh Sandhu of the Indian Armed Forces in recognition of his outstanding services. Major Sandhu had died while serving in United Nations Mission in Sudan.The Cabinet also decided to extend to the next of kin benefits equivalent to those permitted under the policy of ‘Appointment of Honor and Gratitude’.
Notably, Major Sandhu of Signals Corps was serving in UN Mission in Sudan and died on November 6, 2019, during mission due to cardio pulmonary failure. As the officer has not been declared a Battle Casualty, his next of kin cannot be provided a Government job under any existing policy and therefore Cabinet’s approval was warranted for the same, said an official spokesperson.
