Rather than imposing strict legislations and hefty fines for consuming liquor, the Government has found its own way to promote anti-alcoholism in Jharkhand. The idea is to encourage the villages opting suo moto for and getting certified as alcohol-free after adhering to due process and conditionalities.
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the norms and procedures to be followed up to get the tag. “The Government has set guidelines for declaring any village free from booze consumption. Under the process, the concerned Mukhiya would apply for certification before the DC who would forward it to a committee comprising of BDO, officials of child welfare, panchayat samiti representatives, members of women committee, apart from excise official of the district. After getting assured about the complete ban on liquor in the village, the Excise and Prohibition Department would award the village with Rs 1 lakh as promotion along with a certificate,” Cabinet Secretary SS Meena said.
The conditions set to be fulfilled by any such village are like none of the residents should drink for one year and no trade of liquor should take place in the village area for the period of time. “The certificate of ‘alcohol free village’ would be granted for one year after the committee is rest assured about the conditions fulfilled,” said the Secretary.
The Cabinet on the front of sanitation approved Rs 103.53 crore under Namami Gange project. Under the programme, 19 bio-digester fitted community toilets and one lakh individual toilets would be built or renovated in the flood affected areas of Sahibgunj along the river Ganga.
“The Cabinet also approved the Master Plan for six towns for their planned development. The towns are Pakur, Dumka, Seraikela, Sahibgunj, Chakradharpur and Basukinath,” added Meena. Also 21.77 acres of land at Kaniyari Pokhar of Deoghar have been allotted to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for strategic uses.
The Cabinet also approved rules for Jharkhand Juvenile Justice defining constitution of the Board, its members besides, guidelines for making FIR etc. Government employees and pensioners getting payment under 5th and 6th pay commission recommendations have been given DA hikes of 4 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively.
Fixed salary of computer programmers has been raised to Rs 50500 while for assistant programmers it would be Rs 38110 every month.
The Government has also approved 3080 posts of PGTs in 280 upgraded 10+2 schools of the State. Rs 2.12 crore has been granted for computerisation of courts along with issuing Rs 95.46 crore for Dugni Barrage on Sanjay river of Saraikela.
