Punjab cabinet clears old pension scheme notification; cane-crushing season to

Tribune News Service

Ruchika Khanna

Chandigarh, November 18

CM Bhagwant Mann on Friday said the cane-crushing season would begin on November 20. The sugar mills in the state would get a subsidy of Rs 50 per quintal so that farmers could get the State Advised Price of Rs 380 per quintal.

He was briefing the media about the decisions of the cabinet.

Mann said the principals would be appointed directly in 16 government colleges.

He appealed to farmer unions not to go ahead with dharnas at the drop of a hat; asked them to give the government time to implement the promises. “We have held numerous meetings with the farmer unions, and accepted most of their demands. They, too, should not sart dharnas and inconvenience the public,” he said.

“We will give jobs to kin of those farmers who died during the protest at the Delhi borders. While over 300 next of kin of the 624 martyred farmers had already got jobs, the remaining would be accommodated soon, Mann said.

Mann said the Old Pension Scheme notification had been cleared by the cabinet.