The Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday paved the way for distribution, by November, of 1,73,823 smartphones to students of government schools preparing to take their Class XII Board exams over the coming academic year through online education amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Distribution of the first batch of 50,000 phones, which has already been received by the State government, will begin shortly. The phones will be equipped with pre-loaded government applications like the ‘e-Sewa App’ with e-content related to Class XI and Class XII, as approved by the Department of School Education,” said an official statement.
Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who presided over the meeting through video conference, said that both boys and girls of Class XII government schools, who do not have smartphones to access the online classes that have currently replaced physical education, will be provided with the same.
Expenditure approved
The Cabinet also gave its approval for the ₹501.07 crore expenditure incurred so far by the State government to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement said that out of ₹501.07 crore, ₹76.07 crore was spent towards the health sector’s response and the procurement committee for purchase of various equipment and relief, and ₹425 crore was spent by various departments out of the State Disaster Response Fund and budgetary resources set aside for the management and control of the pandemic.
Besides, to become eligible to avail additional borrowing of 2% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2020-21, the cabinet, which was presided over by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh through video conference, has decided to allow facility of automatic renewal of licence and maintenance of register in electronic-digital format to the industries. The State Cabinet approved necessary amendments to the Factories Act, 1948 and Punjab Factory Rules, 1952, added the statement.
“As per the new Rule, a licence shall be renewed for one year digitally through automation mode if there is no change in particulars of licence from the previous granted-renewed licence and other conditions required by government,” said the statement.
The statement said that the move was in line with the directives of the Union government for eligibility to procure additional borrowing of 2% of GSDP in 2020-21, subject to implementation of specific State level reforms by January 31, 2021. Automatic renewal of certificates-licences required by business entities is one of the reforms.
AB-SSY extended
The Cabinet extended the Ayushman Bharat-Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (AB-SSBY) for one year and also decided to bring State government employees-pensioners and employees of non-government organised sectors, including private sector boards and corporations, into the fold of the health insurance cover.
“The Department of Health and Family Welfare has been asked to prepare a detailed proposal for inclusion of the new categories into the ambit of the scheme, which provides insurance cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for 42.27 lakh poor and other families. The scheme will now be extended from August 20, 2020 to August 19, 2021,” said the statement.
