In a significant decision, the Captain Amarinder Singhled Punjab Cabinet on Thursday gave ex-post facto approval for jobs to 104legal heirs of farmers/farm labourers who have died during the ongoingagitation against the Centre’s black Farm Laws, with the Chief Ministerdirecting the concerned departments to give any further relaxations needed toensure that the next of kin of all such deceased protestors are providedemployment.
The Chief Minister made it clear that he wanted thefamily members of all Punjab farmers sacrificing their lives in the stiragainst the draconian laws to be accommodated in government jobs.
The Cabinet earlier authorized the Chief Minister to makeany further changes in rules, while approving relaxations to candidates whowere not covered under the Punjab government policy dated November 21, 2002,relating to compassionate appointments. The said policy is applicable to Governmentemployees and those persons who have died fighting for the security of thenation. The cases of the legal heirs of farmers/farm labourers who have diedduring the farmers’ agitation against the Farm Laws were not covered by thepolicy, necessitating approval/relaxation.
With the cabinet decision, the deceasedfarmers’/labourers’ mother, father, married brother, married sister, marrieddaughter, daughter-in-law, grandson, granddaughter, Next of Kin (NoK) etc., asrecommended by the concerned DC, would be eligible for employment as a one-timemeasure.
Notably, a Committee was constituted under thechairmanship of Principal Secretary Personnel, on the orders of Chief Minister,to consider the issue. Members of the committee included Secretary/Special SecretaryRevenue, Secretary/Additional Secretary/Special Secretary Agriculture andSpecial Secretary or Head of the concerned department in which appointment isto be made against the vacancies.
The Committee had, on July 26, 2021, considered the casesof 104 candidates and recommended employment to the eligible candidates. Inthis regard, a letter has been issued by Revenue Department.
It may be recalled that, in the midst of lockdown due tothe Covid-19 epidemic, the threelaws/ordinances were passed by the Government of India on June 5, 2020, whichcaused a huge outcry among the farmers/farm labourers across the state.Organized protests/agitations by farmers/farm labourers first started in Punjaband then the agitation assumed a nation-wide anger. A large number of small andmarginal farmers took part in this agitation. The farmers are still agitatingon the borders of Delhi.
A number of farmers/farm workers have lost their liveswhile protesting in the cold and inclement weather conditions on roads andunder the open sky. Taking note of the problems/hardships being faced by thefarmers/farm workers, the Government of Punjab has already providedex-gratia/financial aid of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the farmers/farmworkers who have died during the agitation.