Tax, interest relief for farmers in distress
Shimla: Eying electoral gains, the Himachal cabinet today announced 2,367 new government job openings, decided to bring all regular, contractual or daily wage employees with the government or government assisted bodies under a group personal insurance scheme and also did approve tax and interest payment relief on loans for farmers in financial distress.
Presided over by chief minister Virbhadra Singh, the cabinet as a relief measure for farmers in distress decided to exempt stamp duty and registration fee on loans obtained for agriculture, horticulture and allied pursuits borrowed from any financial institution or bank, including cooperative banks, under different schemes. Approval was given to implement Reserve Bank of India instructions regarding charging of interests, which exceed the principal amount on short term agriculture loans availed by small and marginal farmers. To mitigate farmers in financial distress, this has also been extended to primary agricultural societies. Deputy Commissioners have been asked not to take penal action against those small and marginal farmers for recovery of loans who suffered losses due to heavy rains.
The cabinet decided that for any regular, adhoc, contractual, part-time and daily wage employees of government departments, boards, corporations, universities and autonomous bodies to avail of the group insurance scheme, he would need to contribute Rs 50 as annual premium towards it.
Date of receiving applications of allotment of small urban plots for low income households has been extended from October to December, 2007. An Rs 4.61 government debt with Himachal Pradesh State Handicrafts and Handlooms Corporation was converted into equity by the cabinet.
The cabinet decided to regularize the service of 1908 daily wage worker in various departments and created 165 jobs in revenue department, 132 jobs in education department and 100 positions of female health workers in para medical services. To improve mobility of police personnel, the cabinet approved purchase of 50 additional vehicles for the police department.
