The Punjab Cabinet has approved a new draft Bill for enactment in the ongoing Assembly session to ensure quality control of cattle feed, with the aim of boosting milk production.

“The Punjab Regulation of Compounded Cattlefeed, Concentrates and Mineral Mixtures Act, 2018” seeks to exercise quality control on compounded cattle feed, concentrates and mineral mixtures used in the dairy sector.

The new legislation will amend the earlier legislations on the subject, according to an official spokesperson.

The state government had promulgated the Punjab Regulation of Compounded Cattle-feed, Concentrates and Mineral Mixtures Order, 1988, which was issued under Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The department had been taking action under this Order to exert quality control on compounded cattle feed, concentrates and mineral mixtures.

With dairy sector growing manifold in Punjab, the need was felt to bring in quality control for cattle feed. The main objective of the new legislation will be to regulate manufacturing, distribution, storage and sale of cattle feed concentrates and mineral mixtures in the state.

Every manufacturer and dealer would be under obligation to register themselves to fulfill the laid down standards. In case of any violation, they would be liable for penalty under the provisions of the new Act.

The Punjab Cabinet also approved modifications to the existing dispute resolution and the litigation policy to check growing litigation in government departments.

The “Punjab Dispute Resolution and Litigation Policy, 2018” is aimed at quick disposal of the ongoing litigation and minimising the institution of new court cases, thus reducing the financial and administrative burden on the government resulting from such cases.

As per the new policy, all legal matters of the government, PSUs, government corporations etc will be handled by the office of the state Advocate General, and panels will be made in consultation with the AG. In case of difference of opinion, the matter will be referred to the Chief Minister.

In case any department wants to hire lawyers, other than that of AG’s office, it will need to take permission from the CM, the new policy provides, in a bid to check unnecessary expenditure incurred in such hiring, The Cabinet felt departments were hiring from outside though the AG office was spending Rs 2 Crore per month on 152 law officers.

Under the new policy, employees would be encouraged to settle disputes at the level of government itself or through an alternative dispute resolution mechanism.