Punjab Cabinet approves Bill to make sale of spurious seeds non-bailable offence
As per an official statement, the Cabinet gave its nod to introduce The Seeds (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2025 to ensure supply of high-quality seeds to the farmers of the state.
'There has been no amendment to Section 19 of the Seeds Act 1966 since its inception due to which the fines and penalties have no deterrence. So the Cabinet gave its nod to amend and insert Section 19A for contravention of Section 7 of the Seeds Act (Regulation of sales of seeds of notified kinds or varieties), enhancing the fine and penalty, and making it cognizable and non-bailable,' the statement said.
As per the provision, the first offence by a company will invite punishment of one to two years and fine of Rs 5-10 lakh, and punishment of two to three years and fine of Rs 10-50 lakh for repeated offence.
'Similar misdeed by a dealer/person will invite a punishment of six months to one year and fine of Rs 1-5 lakh for the first offence and a term of 1 to 2 years and fine of Rs 5-10 lakh for repeated offence,' the statement said.
Currrently, the fine is Rs 500 for first offence and Rs 1,000 and prison term of up to six months for repeat offence.
The Cabinet also cleared a mechanism to provide land parcels on sale or lease to boost industrial and business investment, featuring a bi-annual digital land pool, investor facilitation for projects above Rs 200 crore, and e-auction procedures.
In another key decision, the Cabinet approved an amendment in Rules 5 (b) and 5 (d) of the Punjab State (Group D) Service Rules, 1963, thereby enhancing the upper age limit for Group D recruitment from existing 35 years to 37 years.
The council approved a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme to clear old loans under various industrial support programmes, with complete waivers for loans under the Punjab State Aid to Industries Act, 1935, and the Integrated Rural Development Programme. Accordingly, there will be a complete waiver of principal and interest for loans under IRDP and Punjab State Aid to Industries Act, 1935. The eligible units will be required to avail of the scheme and clear their dues within 180 days of publication of notice in newspapers.
The Cabinet also gave its nod to the 'The Punjab Foodgrains Transportation Policy 2025′ and 'The Punjab Labour and Cartage Policy 2025′ for the smooth and hassle-free transportation of foodgrains in the state. The Punjab government through its state procurement agencies and FCI procures foodgrains from various designated centres/mandis. According to the new policy, during the year 2025, foodgrain transportation works will be allotted through a competitive and transparent online tender system.
Other approvals included revising District Mineral Foundation rules, extending services of 951 veterinary staff, and amending VAT rules and temple advisory committees.
Will develop robust semiconductor ecosystem: CM
CM Mann said that the state government will make every possible effort to develop a robust semiconductor ecosystem in the state. Chairing a meeting with representatives of the semiconductor industry, Mann assured them of full support and cooperation, including the establishment of a dedicated semiconductor park in and around Mohali.
He said Punjab offers a conducive industrial environment, a skilled workforce, and ample resources, making it an ideal destination for semiconductor investments.
The industry, he noted, will not only spur industrial growth but also create significant employment opportunities for the youth. Mann emphasised the vital role semiconductor chips play in modern technology, stating that they are essential components in virtually all electronic devices.
He added that semiconductors enable a wide range of functionalities from basic computation to advanced technologies. Mann highlighted the vast potential of the semiconductor industry, noting that it is currently experiencing an impressive annual growth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Five members of interstate cyber gang held from Delhi
1 2 Prayagraj: Cyber cell police of Prayagraj on Wednesday arrested five members of an interstate gang from Delhi that was allegedly involved in duping gullible people of over Rs 28.62 lakh by putting them under 'digital arrest'. Those arrested were Kaustubh Gupta of Jalaun, Bhanu Saini of Saharanpur, Anurag of Delhi, Shani Jha of Kanpur and Himanshu Kumar of Etawah. Cops also seized seven mobiles, three SUVs, including one Range Rover and one Mercedes Benz, one ATM card, 14 SIMs, one POS machine, and five cheque books from their possession. Five members of the gang were earlier arrested from different parts of the country. Police said the fraudsters contacted the victims under the guise of FedEx International Courier agents and claimed that a parcel going from Mumbai to Iran having drugs has been seized. They further claimed the parcel had their IDs and even terrorists were operating using their IDs. In the next step, a person posing as Crime Branch officer would talk over Skype platform and extort money. During interrogation, fraudsters revealed that they were connected to cyber thugs in countries like Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Thailand etc through Telegram. Their nexus worked in two modes. In the first, cyber thugs sitting in foreign countries contacted people of India through their agents by means like allurements, threats (investment scams, online gaming scams, digital arrest, cheating by using fake WhatsApp DPs of big businessmen/leaders), etc and forced them to get money transferred to the accounts mentioned by them. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These 11 Everyday Foods Might Be the Key to Knee Pain Relief Undo In the next mode, agents would lure people from different states of India to earn money and get them to open their current/savings accounts. After taking the account-related documents (cheque book, ATM, internet banking password, etc), they get the OTP forwarder app installed on the phone having a mobile number registered with the concerned bank, due to which the bank OTP received during the transaction reaches the cyber fraudsters sitting in foreign countries directly. After this, they use the mule account in cyber fraud and make transactions in those accounts, giving their commission to the agents sitting in India through USDT (cryptocurrency). To avoid arrest and keep their identity confidential, the accused used techniques like VPN and IP bounce. During investigation, it came to light that these people were connected to many Telegram groups, through which they supplied account numbers to their foreign accomplices.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
ED raids unearth multiple property documents linked to former Vasai-Virar civic chief
Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized multiple property-related documents linked to the former civic chief of Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVMC), Anil Pawar, during searches conducted at 12 premises linked to him on Tuesday and Wednesday. ED sources said Pawar had "created a number of entities in the name of his family members, relatives and benamidars to launder the bribe amount collected." The source said, "The formation of shell entities coincides with his posting as VVCMC commissioner (2022). These entities are primarily engaged in businesses where large amounts of cash are absorbed, such as construction and redevelopment of residential towers, construction of warehouses and others." You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Investigations by the ED showed an organised cartel of VVCMC officers, including the commissioner, deputy director of town planning, junior engineers, architects, CAs, and liaisoners, all operating in collusion. This cartel is responsible for large-scale illegal construction within VVCMC's jurisdiction. Commissioner VVCMC Anil Pawar, an IAS officer, is accused of orchestrating and sustaining this cartel. The ED investigation showed that after Pawar assumed the role of commissioner of VVCMC, the commission fee was set at Rs 20-25 per sq ft for the commissioner and Rs 10 per sq ft for his junior, Y S Reddy (Deputy Director Town Planning), based on the total project area from the builders. During searches at twelve premises associated with Pawar, the ED seized Rs 1.33 crore in unaccounted cash, along with numerous incriminating documents and devices. These included property documents in the names of relatives and benamidars, as well as cash and cheque deposit slips, among others. The ED sources said digital devices seized during the operations revealed Pawar's close involvement in creating a nexus of VVCMC officials and architects, CAs, and liaisoners. The money laundering case pertains to the illegal construction of 41 residential and commercial buildings on govt and private land under VVCMC's jurisdiction since 2009. This includes a 60-acre tract designated for sewage treatment and dumping facilities. Although Pawar was not the VVCMC chief at the time of construction, he failed to take action against the developments after assuming office, despite receiving complaints. The 41 buildings were recently demolished following a Bombay high court order. Flat buyers lost their money as well as their homes. In May, the ED raided 13 locations in Nalasopara, Vasai, Virar, and Hyderabad, seizing Rs 8.6 crore in unaccounted cash and Rs 23.2 crore worth of jewellery and bullion from the Hyderabad residence of Y S Reddy, deputy director of town planning, VVCMC. A few locals in Vasai burst crackers and distributed sweets late on Tuesday after the news of the ED raid spread across the city. They alleged that since Pawar was the administrator, he took unilateral decisions and corruption peaked during his tenure. "We also had written to the Maharashtra chief minister to conduct an investigation about his wealth and properties," said Sushant Patil of the Bhumiputra Sangathan, Vasai.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Telangana Housing Board sells acre land in KPHB for over Rs 65 cr
Hyderabad: The e-auction of an acre of open commercial land held by the Telangana Housing Board fetched the state govt over Rs 65.3 crore. The auction for plot number 1 in Phase 4 of the Kukatpally Housing Board, held on Wednesday, attracted 11 bidders. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), a statutory body that governs the chartered accountancy profession in the country, won the bid among the four online bidders. VP Gautham, vice-chairman of the Telangana Housing Board, said that the identities of the parties involved in the auction were not disclosed until the end of the online bidding. He also announced that the state govt earned revenues amounting to Rs 26 crore by selling Rajiv Swagruha Corporation flats in Bandlaguda on Wednesday. On Wednesday, 131 of the 159 remaining flats at Rajiv Swagruha Corporation at its Bandlaguda township were sold and allotted to middle-class beneficiaries through a lottery, said Gautham, the managing director of Rajiv Swagruha Corporation. Meanwhile, on June 11, the Housing Board conducted a land auction for 18 vacant plots in Phase 7 of the Kukatpally Housing Board Colony in Greater Hyderabad. Plot number 22 was sold at a record price of Rs 2.98 lakh per square yard, with officials claiming that the city's real estate sector is booming. A total of 6,232 square yards were auctioned for these 18 plots, with an average price of Rs 2.38 lakh per yard, and the highest price of Rs 2.98 lakh was paid for Plot number 22. Furthermore, Gautham said that the main purpose of the auction was to provide affordable housing to middle-income groups on a no-loss-no-profit basis, in line with the state govt's aim of providing housing at affordable rates in urban areas for the middle classes. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The unsold flats included 19 one-bedroom apartments and nine flats for senior citizens. According to sources, this could be due to inappropriate Vastu and entrance. The govt will make a final decision on the remaining flats. Five auctions have been held in over a decade to sell the 2,700-odd 3-BHK, 2-BHK and 1-BHK flats, as well as flats for senior citizens, in Bandlaguda township. Only 28 flats remain. The auction and draw of lots for the flats in Pocharam township will be held on Aug 1 and 2.
