Punjab Cabinet okays easing of rules for permit renewal for stage carriage bus operators

Chandigarh: To ease the hardships faced by the mini bus operators in renewing their permits due to up-gradation of link roads as other direct roads, major district roads, the Punjab Cabinet on Friday gave the go-ahead for easing of rules for the same.

          The cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, decided to grant exemption from clause 3(E) of the Punjab Transport Scheme-2018, to operators who were issued permit for stage carriage buses as per Chapter V of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, prior to the implementation of the scheme.

          The Transport Scheme, 2018 stipulates that all permits which were issued before 2018 and are due for renewal should adhere to the terms and conditions of the scheme. Condition 3(E) stipulates that operators running buses on rural link roads cannot run more than 12 kms on Other District Roads, Major District Roads, State Highways and National Highways.

          However, due to upgradation of link roads, the mini bus operators were facing problems for renewal of their permits, which are otherwise valid as per Motor Vehicle Act and Punjab Transport Scheme-2018.
         
OKAYS APPOINTMENT OF ARJUN BAJWA AS INSPECTOR, BHISHAM PANDEY AS NAIB TEHSILDAR
As a special case, the Cabinet gave approval to appoint Arjun Pratap Singh Bajwa as Inspector (Group B) in Punjab Police. The applicant is the grandson of ex-Punjab Minister Satnam Singh Bajwa, who laid his life in 1987 for the sake of peace and harmony in the State. He has been given appointment by allowing one-time waiver/relaxation in the relevant rules without making it a precedent.
          In another decision, the Cabinet also gave the nod to the appointment of Bhisham Pandey, the grandson of Joginder Pal Pandey who was gunned down by terrorists in 1987, as Naib Tehsildar (Group-B) in Revenue department. His appointment is also treated as a special case, by giving one time relaxation in the policy of compassionate appointments, 2002. However, it will not be treated as a precedent.
          Noting the sacrifice of their families, the Chief Minister said children/grandchildren of such people would continue to be considered by his government for compensatory appointment on case to case basis.