CHANDIGARH, SEPTEMBER 3:In a landmark decision, the Punjab Cabinet today cleared the draft bill for the Punjab Languages (Amendment) Act to make the study of Punjabi compulsory up to class X Government and private schools.
Giving details, Mr. Harcharan Bains Media Advisor to the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal said that the Bill, once becomes an Act, would apply equally to the schools affiliated to the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Certificate Secondary Examination (ICSE) through out Punjab. Similarly, all the official work in the government offices and semi-government institutions would be carried on in Punjabi. All official correspondence and the official work in all Colleges and Universities in the state would also be carried in the Punjab Language, Mr. Bains said.
While presiding over the Cabinet meeting, Mr. Badal described this decision as "One of the happiest decisions of my life", Mr. Badal said that, " the Cabinet has in effect saluted the entire unmatched history and tradition of the Punjabi people. Today’s decision has profound historical and cultural dimensions and is our humble tribute to the Language, which symbolizes the unparalleled spiritual legacy of our great Masters. Our great Gurus poured out their divine message to the entire mankind, bestowing upon it the stature of Gurmukhi (the language of the Gurus)", said Mr. Badal describing September 3 as the a red letter day in the history of the people of Punjab.
Badal said that the Punjabis all over the world would celebrate the occasion with illumination of their houses on the pattern of the Diwali. The Bill, the draft of which was piloted in the Cabinet meeting by the Education Minister Dr. Upinderjit Kaur would be introduced in the forthcoming session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha beginning tomorrow.
In another decision of major significance, the Cabinet gave its approval to the setting up of Ayurvedic University in the State. The University would be located in the foot- hills of the Shivalik range in Hoshiarpur district known for its rich and exotic fauna and flora. The district had been chosen since its soil is congenial for the growth of herbal medicine parks which were supplementary and complementary for the promotion of Ayush in Punjab. The need for this university which would be only the 3rd in the world of its kind was felt in view of the growing awareness of alternative system of medicine to promote Ayush which covered Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani Siddha and Homoeopathy apart from Ayurveda which were earlier popular in large number of states of our country have now caught global imagination with many countries of Asian, European and American continents evincing deep interest in these. With growing popularity and wide acceptability of Ayurvedic and Yoga, India had now become a major medical Tourism Center for international tourists as a sizable chunk of Medical Tourists prefered Ayurvedic medicinal treatment as a traditional health care system.
The Cabinet also approved the Punjab Protection of Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill 2008 to be placed in the coming session of Vidhan Sabha for its enactment providing for punishment to offenders who indulged in violence against Medicare Service Persons or damage the property in Medical Service Institutions etc.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Mr. Harcharan Bains gave an assurance to this effect on behalf of the Chief Minister to a deputation of striking doctors including office bearers of the Indian Medical Association, Punjab to bring this legislation on the pattern of Andhra Pradesh to safeguard the interests of the medical fraternity.
Mr. Bains also disclosed that the Cabinet also placed on record its appreciation for Mr. Badal for commencement of work on Punjab’s ever biggest 1980 MW Thermal Power Plant at Banawali (Talwandi Sabo) as a major step towards ushering in an era of power revolution on one hand and making Punjab a ‘Power Surplus State’ on the other. The cabinet also commended the officers and officials of the state government and Punjab State Electricity Board for the timely initiation of this prestigious project and expressed gratitude to the people of Punjab who attended the function of the historic launch of this project in teeming lacs.
The Cabinet also gave its nod for the conversion of the Punjab Value Added Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2008 into an act through presentation of the bill in the forthcoming session of the Punjab Assembly. Likewise, the cabinet also gave approval for amending Section 13 of the Punjab Value Added Tax Act, 2005 regarding provision for input tax credit through presentation of a Bill in the coming session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha.