The Himachal Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday expressed grief and paid tribute to the people who lost their lives due to massive devastation caused by heavy monsoon rains, resulting in heavy loss. The Revenue Department gave a detailed presentation on disaster management and huge losses incurred to public and private properties.

The Cabinet decided to amend Swaran Jayanti Energy Policy, wherein MoU will be for a period of 40 years. The royalty will be as 15 percent for the first 12 years, 20 for the next 18 years and 30 percent for the remaining 10 year period. Thereafter, the project shall revert back to the State Government free of cost and free from all encumbrances and liabilities. However, the royalty payable to the State for an extended period will not be less than 50 percent.

It also decided to withdraw the relaxation given for staggered free power royalty in favour of SJVNL and NHPC for 210 MW Luhri Stage-I, 66 MW Dhaulasidh, 382 MW Sunni Dam and 500 MW Dugar Hydro Electric Projects with immediate effect. The Cabinet decided to rationalize the tariff of water cess to be charged from the Hydel Power Projects.

It gave its approval to enhance the financial assistance from Rs. 65 thousand to Rs. 2 lakh under Himachal Pradesh Widow Remarriage Scheme.

The Cabinet gave its approval to enhance the support price of apple, mango and citrus fruits being procured under the Market Intervention Scheme for the year 2023-24 in the State. Henceforth, the support price of apple and mango will be Rs. 12 per kg instead of Rs. 10.50. Additionally, the support price of Kinnow, Malta and orange has been increased to Rs. 12 per kg from Rs. 9.50, whereas the support price of galgal and lemon has been enhanced to Rs.10  from Rs. 8 per kg.  

The cabinet gave its consent to include Sanitary Workers of the State under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme to provide them with health insurance.  It decided to select and train 874 candidates as patwari's and 16 chain-men to be deployed in the next five years in the State.

Nod was given to create and fill up 48 posts of different categories for newly set-up three Traffic cum Tourist Police Stations in Bilaspur, Mandi and Kullu districts in order to manage and control traffic and ensure road safety norms on the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane. Furthermore, the Cabinet also decided to fill up 35 posts of Junior Office Assistant (IT) in the Rural Development Department.

The Cabinet gave its nod to Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for enumeration, marking, extraction and disposal of salvage trees from the forest land. This will ensure the availability of timber at the local level, reduction in transportation costs, boost in revenue, better and enhanced efficiency of field staff and conversion in raw forms.

It gave its approval for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for hiring of e-taxi under Rajiv Gandhi Swarozgaar Yojna-2023 by any government department/Local Authorities/Autonomous Body/Board/Corporation/ Government Undertaking or any other establishment.  This scheme will open employment avenues to the youth of the State and the State Government would provide a 50 percent subsidy to purchase e-taxi which will go a long way in reducing pollution and a step forward towards becoming a 'Green State'.  It will be implemented from 2nd October 2023.