To enhance the efficiencies of the Rural Development andPanchayats Department, the Punjab Cabinet on Thursday decided to raise theminimum qualification for Gram Sewaks from Matric to Graduation.
It has okayed amendment to the Rural Development andPanchayats Department (Class-III) Service Rules, 1988, according to an officialspokesperson.
A decision to this effect was taken in a Cabinet meetingchaired by the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh held here this afternoonthrough video conferencing.
Following the Cabinet’s nod, the “Punjab Department ofRural Development and Panchayats (Class-III) Service (First Amendment) Rules,2021” will notify amendment to the rules, thus paving the way for freshrecruitment of 792 Gram Sewaks, to be conducted by the SSS Board.
Notably, the duties of Panchayat Secretary and GramSewaks in the Rural Development and Panchayats Department are of similar naturebut the minimum educational qualification in direct recruitment of PanchayatSecretary is Graduation whereas in case of Gram Sewaks, the educationalqualification has so far been Matriculation.
VET HOSPITAL SERVICE PROVIDERS GET CONTINUATION
Meanwhile, in a bid to provide efficient animal healthservices in the 582 veterinary hospitals across the state, the Cabinet okayedcontinuation of the services of Service Providers (497 Veterinary Pharmacistsand 498 Class-IV/Safai Sewaks), already working on contract basis, as astop-gap arrangement for a period of two years, i.e. from April 1, 2020 toMarch 31, 2022.
This decision has been taken to ensure smooth functioningof the veterinary hospital, besides enabling dairy farmers to avail the bestveterinary services for their livestock.
The state government has already transferred 582 CivilVeterinary Hospitals back to the Animal Husbandry Department, including the 582sanctioned posts of Rural Veterinary Officers, from Rural Development &Panchayat Department, to provide efficient animal health services to livestockowners.
APPROVES AMENDMENT FOR BETTER COORDINATION BETWEEN DBEESAND DPMUS
To bring parity and ensure coordination in thefunctioning of District Bureau of Employment Enterprises (DBEEs) and DistrictProgram Management Units (DPMUs), the Cabinet gave approval to amendnotification No. 9/33/2019-1ET/1530612/1 dated July 24, 2019 to replace thewords “Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) and ADC (D)’ withAdditional Deputy Commissioner-cum-CEO DBEE”.
As per a Cabinet decision of June 6, 2019, Punjab SkillDevelopment Mission was brought under the Department of Employment Generation,Skill Development and Training, which has also set up DBEEs in all districtswhere Additional Deputy Commissioners are CEOs (Chief Executive Officer) ofthese DBEEs. DBEEs and DPMU of Punjab Skill Development Mission are working indistricts under the direct control of the ADCs who act as nodal officers forthe same. However, in many districts ADC (Development) is the nodal officer forskill programmes and ADC (General) is the CEO of DBEE. This dual structureleads to lack of coordination amongst the skill training and employmentgeneration wings of the department. Therefore, for better coordination betweenDBEEs and DPMU at district level, the Cabinet took this decision to amend thesaid notification.
APPROVES ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
The Punjab Cabinet also approved Annual AdministrativeReports of the Employment Generation & Training Department for the years2018-19, 2019-20, and of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairsdepartment for four years viz. 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.