On October 21, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the following proposals which were detailed by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Keshav Javadekar during a press conference.
–Cabinet approved Productivity Linked Bonus and non-Productivity Linked Bonus for 2019-2020
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to pay Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) and non PLB for the year 2019-2020 to a 30.67 lakh non-gazetted Central Government employees with a total financial implication of Rs 3,737 crore.
- This will benefit 16.97 lakh non-gazetted employees of commercial establishments like Railways, Posts, Defence, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) etc. It will cost Rs.2,791 crore to the Central Government.
- Apart from above, Non-PLB or ad-hoc Bonus is given to 13.70 lakh employees. Its outlay will be Rs.946 crore.
Notably, payment of Bonus to non-gazetted employees for their performance in the preceding year is usually made before Durga Puja/Dussehra season. This encourages the middle-class to spend and thus add to the demand in the economy.
–Cabinet approved extension of Market Intervention Scheme for procurement of apples in J&KÂ for 2020-21
The Union Cabinet approved the extension of Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for apple procurement in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) for the current season i.e. 2020-21 on the same terms and conditions as was done in J&K during last season i.e. 2019-20.
- The procurement of apple will be done by Central Procuring Agency i.e. National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation ltd. (NAFED) through State Designated Agency i.e. Directorate of Planning and Marketing, Department of Horticulture & Jammu & Kashmir Horticulture Processing and Marketing Corporation (JKHPMC), directly from apple farmers of J&K and the payment will be made through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into the Bank account of apple farmers.
- 12 LMT of apples can be procured under this scheme.
Notably, NAFED will utilize Government Guarantee of Rs. 2,500 Crore for this operation. The losses, if any, to be incurred in this operation will be shared between the Central Government and J&K on a 50:50 basis.
Reason behind this decision:
This extension will provide an effective marketing platform to apple growers and will ensure remunerative prices for apples resulting in overall income enhancement of farmers in J&K.
About National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation ltd. (NAFED)
Managing Director (MD)– Sanjeev Kumar Chadha
Headquarter– New Delhi
–Union Cabinet approved adoption of Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act
The Union Cabinet approved the adoption of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, which was amended and notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on October 17, 2020.
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