Chandigarh, June 22 (IANS) The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Monday approved an ordinance to regulate fee hikes by private unaided schools, amend industrial incentive guidelines, and strengthen digital governance.

The Chief Minister’s Office said that to regularise unnecessary and unreasonable fee increases by private unaided schools, the Cabinet approved the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026. It amends the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act, 2016.

The decision aims to control fee hikes, protect students and parents from arbitrary increases, ensure transparency and accountability in fee structures, and safeguard their interests.

The amendments clarify the definitions of fee, fee enhancement, and cumulative fee enhancement, place a cap of 5 per cent on annual fee hikes, and require regulatory body approval for any increase beyond 5 per cent.

In another decision, the Cabinet approved amending the Guidelines dated November 13, 2019, for the disbursement of capital subsidy and investment incentives under the state’s industrial policy.

The amendments aim to simplify and streamline subsidy disbursement, improve administrative efficiency and ensure uniform implementation across eligible industrial units.

Under the revised framework, capital subsidy will be released to industrial units eligible after the omission of Clauses 1.1 and 1.2 of the guidelines, subject to verification of the requisite documents and fulfilment of the prescribed conditions.

To integrate various departmental databases, avoid duplicity and streamline processes, the Cabinet also approved the implementation of the State Data Integration Platform (SDIP) in Punjab.

A three-tier steering committee will be set up under the Chief Secretary to ensure smooth implementation of the SDIP project.

The committee will comprise the Chief Secretary as chairperson, the Administrative Secretary (Good Governance) as member-convener, and Administrative Secretaries of other departments as members.

–IANS

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