Himachal Pradesh cabinet meeting was held on Thursday in Shimla under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. Many big decisions related to employment, employees and public welfare have been taken in the meeting. The cabinet has decided to fill hundreds of posts in various departments. Along with this, it has also been decided to increase the honorarium of several categories of employees, to open new Jalshakti Mandal and Patwar Circle, to upgrade the schools and dispensaries. Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses in the state will only charge half the fare of women, while drinking water will also be available free of cost in rural areas after May 1.
These much-awaited decisions were approved in the cabinet meeting held at State Secretariat Shimla just before the assembly elections, chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. Earlier these facilities were announced by the Chief Minister in Chamba on Himachal Day on 15th April. Now the people of the state will get their benefits as soon as the notification is issued. In HRTC’s intra-state ordinary buses, women passengers till now used to get 25 percent discount on the fare. The cabinet has now increased this exemption to 50 percent. The cabinet has also approved the purchase of 360 buses and other vehicles. For this, the government has decided to provide a government guarantee in favor of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) for taking a term loan of Rs 160 crore. This will help in providing better transport services to the people.
The state government will spend Rs 65 crore to save mothers and children from malnutrition. The cabinet approved the Chief Minister’s Child Nutrition Scheme. With this scheme based on seven pillars, the state will be freed from malnutrition. The scheme will be run in joint collaboration with the Central and State Governments and the Department of Women and Child Development, Elementary Education and Health. A teacher will be made the nodal officer for the successful implementation of the scheme in every school. The State Government has prepared an action plan for the scheme after discussing it with NITI Aayog member Dr. VK Paul. Under the scheme, two basic diseases in the physical growth of children, Diarrhea and Pneumonia, will be detected early and treated properly. The health of low birth weight newborns and children likely to be affected by malnutrition will be closely monitored and continuously reviewed. Suitable protein rich diet will be provided for supplementary nutrition. Special efforts will be made to remedy anemia in children, pregnant and lactating women. Pregnant and lactating women suffering from high blood pressure and anemia will be identified and treated in time. This scheme will be run in coordination with the Government of India and the State Government.
In addition to one filled cylinder and one refill in free gas connection, the cabinet has approved to give free refill of two more cylinders to the beneficiaries of Mukhyamantri Grihini Suvidha Yojna. The cabinet also decided that regular government women employees would be given 12 weeks leave in case of child adoption. The cabinet has decided to increase the honorarium of all 2477 teachers appointed in SMC by ₹1000 per month from April 1. From 20,650 employees working under the mid-day meal scheme, there will be an increase in honorarium of Rs 900 per month. It also approved to increase the honorarium of part time employees working in Patwar circles from Rs 4100 to Rs 5000 per month and for lambardars from Rs 2,300 to Rs 3200 per month.
It has been decided to increase the honorarium of 581 part-time water carriers working in the Education Department by Rs.900 per month. The cabinet has approved filling up of more than 600 posts in various departments including 177 posts of Operation Theater Assistants. 66 posts of superintendent grade-1 will be filled in the education department. In Animal Husbandry Department, it has been decided to fill 100 posts of Veterinary Officers through direct and batch wise recruitment on contract basis. Under the National Health Mission, 130 posts of different categories will be filled on contract and outsourced basis.
Approval was given to create and fill 14 posts of different categories in attention cells in the establishment of state and district consumer commissions. The meeting approved the formation of Transport Appellate Tribunal to regulate all aspects of road transport vehicles. For this, it was decided to create 12 posts of different categories. Approval was given to fill up 2 posts of spokesperson in Pharmaceuticals and Pharmacognosy on contract basis in Ayurvedic College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jogindernagar.
Around 50,000 students studying in pre-primary schools will get two sets of smart uniforms for the first time under the Atal School Vardi Yojana. For this, a stitching amount of Rs 200 per year will also be available. So far 8.50 lakh children of classes 1st to 12th are being given uniforms. The cabinet has given its approval for extension of the existing One Time Settlement Scheme of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Corporation Limited for a period of one year. A decision was also taken to waive the margin money loan and interest of Rs 2.83 crore. This will benefit 11,133 beneficiaries of SC/ST category.
The cabinet approved the creation and filling of 18 posts of different categories along with opening of Government Degree College at Kupvi in Chopal assembly constituency of Shimla district and also sanctioned five crore for carrying out college construction activities. In the meeting, an in-principle agreement was also reached to designate the language teachers working in the Education Department as TGT (Hindi). The cabinet gave its approval for creation and filling of 18 posts of different categories along with opening of Government Degree College at Chhatri in Siraj assembly constituency of Mandi district. At the same time, a provision of Rs 5 crore was made to start construction activities.
The cabinet decided to convert 286 veterinary dispensaries opened under Mukhyamantri Arogya Pashudhan Yojana into regular veterinary dispensaries. Along with this, approval was given to convert 286 posts of Gram Panchayat Veterinary Assistants into Veterinary Pharmacists on contract basis. Apart from one post of Safai Karamchari, it was decided to create and fill one post of Medical Officer (Psychiatrist) on contract basis in Nari Seva Kendra, Mashobra in Shimla district. The cabinet also decided to increase the capacity of the Regional Hospital Bilaspur to 300 beds from the existing 270 beds for the convenience of the patients. Opening of new Jal Shakti Mandal at Sujanpur in Hamirpur district has approved the creation and filling of necessary posts. The Cabinet gave its approval to start science classes in Government Senior Secondary Schools, Haripur Khol, Panjahal and Barma Papri and Commerce classes in Government Senior Secondary School, Bikrambag and commerce and mathematics in Government Senior Secondary School, Sainwala in Nahan constituency of Sirmaur district alongwith creation and filling up of requisite posts.
