Overview

• The Cabinet backed the Seeds (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2025 to make sale of spurious seeds a cognizable, non-bailable offence under new Section 19A of the Seeds Act.
• Under the Bill, companies face one to two years’ imprisonment and ₹5–10 lakh fines for first offences, rising to two to three years and ₹10–50 lakh for repeats, while dealers incur six months to one year and ₹1–5 lakh fines on first breaches with escalated penalties on recidivism.
• A formal, bi-annual digital land pooling mechanism with reserve price fixation, e-auction processes and facilitation for projects over ₹200 crore was approved to accelerate industrial investment.
• Punjab State Service Rules were amended to raise the upper age limit for Group D recruitment from 35 to 37 years and upgrade the minimum educational requirement to matriculation.
• A one-time settlement scheme will fully waive principal and interest on legacy IRDP and PSAIA loans, with beneficiaries required to clear dues within 180 days of notification.