After its shock defeat in the bye election from Hamirpur, the Congress led state government has started taking many populistic decisions to garner the support of the people for the party in the state. The state cabinet today held a meeting with the chief minister, Vir Bhadra Singh on chair decided to create a National Illness Assistance Fund in equal partnership of Government of India and Government of Himachal Pradesh aimed at benefiting the vulnerable section of the society with better health care facilities. Both the governments would share the expenditure and initially the State Government has approved a sum of Rs. 200 lakhs while the Government of India Rs. 100 lakhs to make the beginning.
The Cabinet approved the up gradation of the Sub- Tehsil, Baldwara in Sarkaghat Sub-Division in distirict Mandi to that of Tehsil besides opening of another new Sub- Tehsil at Darlaghat in district Solan with 11 patwar circles to facilitate the people of the respective areas with better administrative and revenue services.
It sanctioned nine posts of ministerial staff for the courts of civil judges courts of Una, Ghumarwin and Shimla with a view to strengthen the judicial infrastructure in those areas.
It sanctioned creation of 11 posts of Superintendent Grade I and 73 posts of Superintendent Grade II in the Public Works Department; upgraded two posts of Personal Assistants to that of Private Secretaries in Himachal Pradesh Secretariat, besides taking over the services of the five non-teaching faculty, fulfilling the eligibility criteria for such posts as per government norms, of the Maharaja Sansar Chand Memorial Degree College, Thural, in district Kangra under the government control.
The state cabinet held its first meeting after the defeat in Hamirpur election last evening and had taken many decisions to streamline the working and to provide benefits to the staff.
It had granted sanction for creation and filling up of 3,163 posts of different categories in various departments which includes 548 posts of different categories in the Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla and a provision of 441 more posts in coming four to five years to make the college best equipped to deliver the specialized medical services to the people of the State.
It also gave approval for creation and filling up of posts of different categories included 2,096 posts of teaching and non-teaching categories in the newly upgraded 16 senior secondary, 71 high and 106 middle schools all over the state besides two posts of Additional Advocate General and one post of Deputy Advocate General, one post of Joint Secretary, two posts of Deputy Secretaries and 06 posts of section officers in Himachal Pradesh Secretariat, four posts of different categories in HP Public Service Commission, one post of Assistant Professor in Radiology in IGMC; one post of Faculty in Right to Information, 548 posts of different categories in the IGMC with provision of 441 more such posts in next four to five years to strengthen the quality health network in the state hospital, two posts of Naib Tehsildars, one post of Deputy Director in the Social Justice and Empowerment Department; 48 posts of different categories for the Millennium Polytechnic, Chamba.
In Education Department 336 posts of teaching and non-teaching categories in the newly upgraded 16 government senior secondary schools which included 96 posts of lecturers (48 in science and 48 posts of laboratory assistants), two additional posts of lecturers in English and Political Science for Government Senior Secondary School for Girls, Rohru; 438 posts of teaching and non-teaching categories for making functional the newly upgraded 45 middle and 34 high schools; 625 posts of teaching and non teaching categories in the newly upgraded 61 middle and 37 high government schools besides regularization of 690 JBTs. Completing 8 years of prescribed regular service on 31st December, 2006 which were in addition to 1,693 regularized earlier. Out of the 690 approved for regularization 393 have been granted relaxation in educational qualifications and 20 in age limit; 5 posts of JBTs reserved for ex-servicemen in Elementary Education Department; two posts of drivers each in Excise and Taxation, Horticulture, and one in Printing and Stationary department besides two posts of peons in Department of tourism were also sanctioned.
The state cabinet decided to appoint the deputy commissioners as secretaries of the District Planning Committees of respective districts with a view to ensure proper co-ordination of all the departments in preparation of the district developmental plans.
It decided to introduce vocational scheme for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities by imparting them training in different trades aimed at earning their livelihood through self-employment as also exploring more employment avenues for employment in public and private sectors.
It sanctioned opening of a Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) office at Paddhar in district Mandi and tehsil for Nagrota-Bagwan in district Kangra as per the norms.
It consented to the change in the name of company name from Himachal Indage Limited to Champaigne Indage Limited.
It granted its approval for the purchase of bulk supplies of goods by government departments, corporations and boards etc. within the state by delegating powers.
As a measure of granting financial relief for health check-ups facilities to the state government retirees, the cabinet approved the grant of medical advance facilities to them upto 80 percent of the medical estimates
It further approved framing of Rules under The Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2006.
It granted recognition of the diplomas/degrees awarded by the extension centres of the universities/deemed universities as one time relaxation during the period from 1st June, 2001 to 31st August, 2005 making them eligible for employment in the Elementary Education Department.
It granted one time relaxation from 8 years to 5 years in the service conditions for promotion of the deputy forest rangers to the post of range forest officers in Rule 11 of the Recruitment and Promotion Rules of range forest officers (RFO) with relaxation in their educational qualifications and approved reservation of 15 percent to the Home Guards in police, forest guard and jail wardens besides relaxation of age from 20 to 28 years.
It approved Himachal Pradesh Prevention of Specific Corrupt Practices (Amendment) Bill, 2007 inserting definition of Public Servant as per the Corrupt Practices Act of the Government of India.; Himachal Pradesh Registration of Dentists, Dental Hygienists and Dental Mechanics Rules, 2007; amendments to Treasury and Sub Treasury Rules; in Rule 8 of Grant-in-Aid to Parents and Teachers Association Rules, 2006 whereby the state government grant would be 50 percent of the basic pay and dearness allowance; Appendix-V, under Rule 10 (3) of H.P.Administrative Service Rules, 1973 which makes provision of having two papers, one optional and one elective General Knowledge of 120 questions of one mark each in the Preliminary Examination and both the papers combined together would have 240 marks instead of 300 marks as has been the practice earlier; in the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994; in Himachal Pradesh Fisheries Rules, 1979; Rules of Business of the Government of Himachal Pradesh, 1971 whereby the Department of Pollution Control, Science and Technology, Bio-Technology and Environment has been renamed as the Department of Environment and Scientific Technology.
It granted relaxation in the Recruitment and Promotion Rules of the Director of Horticulture; Deputy Director (SCSP) in social Justice and Empowerment Department; upgradation of a post of Assistant controller (Finance and Accounts) to the post of Joint Controller in the faculty of HIPA for training to SAS officers; Senior Private Secretary to that of Special Private Secretary, Personal Assistant to that of Private Secretary and Junior Scale Stenographer to that of Senior Scale Stenographer.
The Cabinet approved Recruit and Promotion Rules of Joint Excise and Taxation Commissioner; Controller, Joint Controller, Deputy Controller and Assistant Controller (Finance and Accounts) in Treasury, Accounts, Lotteries Department under Finance Department Administrative control; Private Secretary in Technical Education, Vocational and Industrial Training Department; Personal Assistant in Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Engineering College, Sundernagar; Lecturer in Police Department; Research Assistant in Language, Art and Culture Department; Steno Typist in the Excise and Taxation Department; Drivers and Motor Boat Drivers in the Fisheries Department.
It sanctioned three vehicles for Excise and Taxation Department and one vehicle for HP Public Service Commission.
