Chandigarh, June 22
There’s good news for Ludhiana residents. The metro rail project is fast moving towards becoming a reality with the state Cabinet today approving the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. A Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal approved the execution of the project in either the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.

Sources said the funds for the Rs 8,705-crore project were still to be arranged and the state was looking up to the Centre for help.

The CM had earlier held talks with the Union Finance Minister for variable gap funding of the project,

which is expected to take six years to become a reality. Earlier, the DMRC had given a detailed presentation on the project to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. The DMRC took one-and-a-half-year to conduct the feasibility study of the project. There has been a growing demand for metro connectivity in Ludhiana. The SAD government plans to make Ludhiana a model business city.

Meanwhile, the state Cabinet also approved the creation of 14 posts of district judges along with supporting staff for setting up 14 family courts, besides giving a go-ahead to the recruitment of 110 judges for the Subordinate Judicial Services. The written exam and evaluation for the recruitment of judges would be conducted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court while the entire exercise from inviting applications to interviews would be undertaken by the Punjab Public Services Commission, said a government spokesman. The Cabinet also gave its permission to set up the Punjab State Commission for NRIs in Chandigarh. The facility will safeguard the interests of state’s NRIs besides recommending remedial measures to the state government.

An approval was given to the draft policy for 'premature release of life convicts' under Article 161 of the Constitution of India and Section 432, 433 and 433-A of the CrPC Act, 1973.

The Cabinet also accorded ex-post facto approval to open private veterinary colleges with the intake capacity of 60 seats subject to the fulfillment of the necessary prescribed conditions laid down by the Veterinary Council of India and Guru Angand Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. An approval to amend the Punjab Police Rules, 1934, that would enable the appointment of Sub-Inspectors directly up to 50 per cent of vacancies for the post, out of which 3 per cent of posts would be filled by outstanding sportspersons, was also given. Disabled employees will have a reservation of three per cent in promotions.