Chandigarh, Feb 21 (IANS) Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's government will present its Budget for financial year 2023-24 on March 10 as the Budget session of the 16th Punjab Assembly will be held from March 3 to March 24, it was announced on Tuesday.
This was decided at a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister here.
A spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office said the Cabinet authorised the Governor to convene the session, as per Article 174 of the Constitution.
As per the schedule, the budget session will commence on March 3 at 10 a.m. with Governor's address followed by obituary references at 2 p.m.
The motion of thanks and discussion on Governor's Address will take place on March 6, while the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General for year 2021-22, presentation of supplementary grants for 2022-23 and Appropriation Bill on supplementary demands for grants for 2022-23 will be held on March 7, followed by legislative business.
Non-official business will be held on March 9 and Budget estimates for year 2023-24 will be presented before the House on March 10, followed by general discussion on the budget.
The general discussion on the Budget estimates for year 2023-24 will resume at 10 a.m. on March 11 till its conclusion and voting.
Non-official business will be conducted at 10 am on March 22, followed by the legislative business on March 24 after which the House will be adjourned sine-die.
The Cabinet also gave ex-post-facto approval to the officers committee constituted by the Finance Department to formulate the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the implementation of the old pension scheme in Punjab.
With a view to provide houses at affordable prices to the lower income group in the state, the Cabinet also gave green signal to notify the Affordable Colony Policy, 2023.
The Cabinet also gave nod to convert 101 temporary posts of District and Sessions Judge or Additional District and Sessions Judges into permanent posts to strengthen the judicial system.
The authorities were directed to commence classes in Medical Colleges of Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Sangrur from next year. Free medicines should be provided to patients in the hospitals of the medical colleges as early as possible, he added.
In 2022, the two most populous regions are both in Asia: Eastern and South-Eastern Asia with 2.3 billion people (29 per cent of the global population), and Central and Southern Asia with 2.1 billion (26 per cent). China and India, with more than 1.4 billion each, accounted for most of the population in these two regions. The world's population is projected to reach 8 billion on November 15, 2022.
The Chief Minister accused SAD leaders, Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal, of conniving with the governments at the Centre to dilute the claims of Punjab over Chandigarh. He categorically asked Sukhbir Badal to explain that why the SAD was tightlipped about Chandigarh when they were partners in the successive government at the Centre.
After taking two 'pheras' Neetu suddenly announced that she was calling off the marriage. She said that the groom shown to her earlier, was not the one whom she was marrying. She also stated that his complexion was too dark for her liking. She left the 'mandap' and did not return even after persuasion by her family members.
At least three langars (community kitchens) and 25 Yatri tents were washed away in flash floods caused by the cloudburst. Sources said that around three dozen people are missing in this tragedy and efforts are on to locate them.
The about 70-feet tall tree uprooted naturally and fell on the students when they were playing under it. Condition of a student and a woman conductor was stated to be critical.
