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Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Punjab cabinet approves industrial plots' conversion
The Punjab cabinet on Thursday approved significant amendments to the state's conversion policy, enabling the conversion of industrial plots into hospitals, hotels, industrial parks, and other permitted uses. Industrial associations had raised concerns about certain restrictive conditions in the 2021 policy. In response, a committee reviewed the requests from industrialists and proposed a set of changes applicable to freehold plots. As per the revised policy, a conversion charge of 12.5% of the industrial reserve price will be levied. (HT File) A decision to this effect was taken during a meeting of the Council of Ministers held at the chief minister's official residence. Disclosing this here on Thursday a spokesperson from the chief minister's office said that earlier conversion policies were introduced in 2008, 2016, and 2021. However, industrial associations had raised concerns about certain restrictive conditions in the 2021 policy. In response, a committee reviewed the requests from industrialists and proposed a set of changes applicable to freehold plots. As per the revised policy, a conversion charge of 12.5% of the industrial reserve price will be levied. Approval for conversion of leasehold industrial plots/sheds to freehold The cabinet also approved a policy for converting leasehold industrial plots and sheds into freehold ones, particularly for plots managed by PSIEC. These plots and sheds, originally allotted on a leasehold basis, included complex clauses related to transfer, leading to complications in property transactions. The new policy aims to streamline industrial estate management, enhance ease of doing business, and reduce litigation and uncertainty among allottees. Additionally, this conversion is expected to generate additional revenue for the state. Amendments to MSE Facilitation Council Rules–2021 The cabinet approved amendments to the MSE Facilitation Council Rules – 2021 under the MSME Development Act, 2006. At present, district-level micro and small enterprises facilitation councils function under the chairpersonship of the respective deputy commissioners. However, delays were noted in the execution of awards related to delayed payments under the Act. In line with Government of India guidelines, a mechanism will now be created for the recovery of such awards as arrears of land revenue under the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887. The cabinet approved amendments to the service rules governing junior engineers (JE) (Group-B) in the Punjab water resources department. While 15% of JE posts are reserved for promotion, 10% of these are filled from among junior draftsmen, surveyors, work mistris, earth work mistris, and others. Now, canal patwaris and revenue clerks who hold the required qualifications (i.e., a diploma or degree in civil, mechanical, or electrical engineering from a recognised institution) and relevant experience will also be eligible under this quota. Approval to merge various directorates under dept of finance The cabinet approved the merger of various directorates under the department of finance. The directorates of small savings, banking & finance, and lotteries will be merged and renamed as the directorate of small savings, banking, and lotteries. DPED and DFREI will be merged and renamed as the directorate of public enterprises and financial resources. The directorates of treasury & accounts, pensions, and NPS will be merged into a single entity: Directorate of treasury & accounts, pension, and NPS. This restructuring is expected to save the state approximately ₹ 2.64 crore annually. The cabinet also gave consent for the creation of new posts for the state SNA treasury established in Chandigarh, in accordance with Government of India guidelines.
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC gives Haryana time till December 31 to notify reserved forest in Morni Hills
The Punjab and Haryana high court has given the Haryana government time till December 31 to identify and notify reserved forest area in Morni Hills. The court criticised the inaction by Haryana government in not completing the exercise even as notification was done in 1987. (HT File) 'The Morni Hills are serving as the prime green cover, acting as lungs for the tri-city of Chandigarh, Panchkula & Mohali. Indubitably, the authorities are required to take a decision, one way or the other, regarding completion of the process which begins with the issuance of notification under Section 4(1) of the 1927 Act and culminates upon a notification issued under Section 20 of the 1927 Act,' the bench presided over by chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sumeet Goel said while adding that the forest secretary of the state would file a compliance report about the same within seven months. '… failure wherein may invite punitive consequences (as per law) for the officer concerned as also other functionaries,' it added while fixing the second week of January, 2026, for filing the compliance affidavit. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2017 by one Vijay Bansal, a Panchkula resident, who had demanded settlement of the area as prescribed under the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887. The area was formerly a part of the Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh and became a part of Haryana in 1966. In December 1987, the government issued a notification of reserved forest area. However, the process of demarcation has not been completed even now, the plea had said. The court made it clear that demarcation and survey is to be done by the forest settlement officer (FSO) and not by the revenue authorities, as being claimed by the state government. The appointment of FSO was made in 2018. The court criticised the inaction by Haryana government in not completing the exercise even as notification was done in 1987. 'To permit nearly four decades to elapse without any discernible, substantive action flowing from a statutory declaration is, to put it mildly, an affront to the principles of effective governance and a manifest failure at the end of officers, both statutory and Constitutional. Such inaction on the part of such officers, particularly in a matter of such profound public importance, merits the unequivocal condemnation of this court,' the bench observed, deprecating 'in the strongest possible terms, the protracted official lethargy and its discernible unwillingness to discharge its solemn responsibilities' of identifying the area. The court has now directed that the FSO be handed over all the documents regarding demarcation and survey which are in the possession of the revenue authorities, forest authorities and Survey of India and he be provided with requisite facilities and infrastructure to enable him to make inquiry, entry, survey, demarcation, and prepare map and acquire land so that reserved forest notification is issued and published in the official gazette by the given deadline.
