Chandigarh, Nov 9 (IANS): In a major decision to regularise the services of nearly 36,000 employees ahead of the Assembly elections, the Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Punjab Protection and Regularisation of Contractual Employees Bill, 2021 to be introduced in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha session for enactment.

This decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Charanjit Channi here.

A spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office said with this decision the services of nearly 36,000 employees with more than 10 years of service would be regularised.

Likewise, the Cabinet also gave approval for the extra creation of deemed posts.

The provisions of reservation policy would be followed during the regularisation process of these employees. However, this decision of regularisation would not be a binding on the boards and corporations, the spokesperson added.

Keeping in view the fears owing to the strict provisions incorporated in the Punjab Contract Farming Act like imprisonment, monetary penalties and other rigorous punishments, the Cabinet decided to repeal the Act in the larger interest of the farmers.

It also gave approval to amend Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act of 1961 to revoke the anti-farmer provisions.

The time-tested Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act is a legislative measure enacted by the state government to facilitate the development of market infrastructure, to provide better facilities and amenities to farmers to sell their agricultural produce, besides to regulate the marketing of agricultural produce for the elimination of malpractices prevalent in the trade.