Cabinet Decisions: The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet in its meeting today decided to adopt ‘Van Mahotsava Scheme-2008′, to celebrate the Van Mahotsava on 3rd of August this year, 2008, with a motivation of local people to plant at least one medicinal or other plant which would be made available to each household.
It also approved enhancement in the Market Intervention Scheme for various grafted/seedling varieties of Mango by Re. 0.50 per kg for the current season, thereby increasing it from existing 4.08 per kg to 4.58 per kg for seedling varieties and from 4.75 per kg to 5.25 per kg for the grafted varieties. The procurement will be made through HPMC, HIMFED and HPAIC which will be eligible to charge Re. 1.00 per kg as handling charges.
It further approved filling up of 545 posts of different categories in various departments of the state government which includes, 494 posts of different categories for Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra at Tanda, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla and State Hospital for Mother and Child (KNH) Shimla; 36 posts of teaching and non-teaching categories to the newly upgraded Government Senior Secondary Schools and 25 posts of various categories in the Sainik Welfare Department.
It has also decided to adopt the ‘Himachal Pradesh Home Stay Scheme-2008′ with a view to involve the entire state in tourism promotion activities specially to give boost to the rural tourism by offering various incentives to the prospective entrepreneurs which include no charges by Town and Country Planning Department for change of land use, exemption (for 3 rooms) from Luxury and Sales Tax/VAT; electricity and water charges at domestic tariff in respect of registered home stay units.
The policy of opening medical colleges with private participation was also shown a green flag while it was decided that the Government would give a ‘No Objection Certificate’ to such projects for applying to Medical Council of India, who have acquired the requisite land on their own and set up a corpus of Rs. 3 crore. The applicants will also have to follow the conditions of giving 50 percent seats to bonafide Himachalis as laid down under the HP Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2006.
It approved restructuring and constitution of Rogi Kalyan Samitis at various levels like Medical College level, district, CHC, PHC level hospitals and requests for enhancement of capacity of Hydro Electric Projects by the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) who were allotted projects by HIMURJA. All such projects with capacity enhanced beyond 5MW will pay 12 percent free power plus 3 percent additional free power on the total capacity of the project and will sign fresh Implementation Agreement (IA) with the State Government. Allotment of 19 projects advertised by HIMURJA having capacity of 2 to 5MW to the sole qualified applicants while all other projects will be re-advertized while the Cabinet decided to establish State Employment Guarantee Fund under National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and to authorize the State Employment Commissioner (NREGA) (Director of Rural Development) to expand and administer the Fund as a Revolving Fund for the implementation of the Scheme in the state.
