The State Cabinet has decided to provide some relaxation under six segments of category IV land. Additionally, settlement commissioners will be deputed by the State at Udham Singh Nagar and lalkuan to resolve pending cases related to land ownership of the rehabilitated refugees and other residents.
Since the High Court has ordered a stay on 10 per cent horizontal reservation in jobs for identified Statehood activists, the Cabinet has decided to present a bill on this in the next Assembly session with the draft of this bill slated to be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, 10 per cent reservation will be provided to identified statehood activists in Uttarakhand Purv Sainik Kalyan Nigam limited (UPNl). Addressing the media about the decisions taken by the State cabinet on Tuesday, chief secretary N Ravishankar said that it has been decided that relaxing the no-work, no-pay policy, the period of work boycott by Rajya Sangraha Amin and ministerial workers will be adjusted with their leaves and their pay will not be deducted.
Additional chief secretary Rakesh Sharma said that the State is in the process for drafting about eight land related policies for various purposes and these are expected to be drafted in about a month. Ravishankar said that the cabinet has approved the proposals for creation of additional posts in Home and Prisons department and creation of additional sections in the secretariat.
Regarding the `52 crore unpaid dues to sugar cane farmers by private sugar mills, the cabinet has decided that the State will pay about `23.24 crore of the unpaid dues directly to the farmers. In cases where more than valid amount of compensation was paid to disaster victims in Kedarnath, the cabinet has decided to not take this sum back from the victims.
The Pandas (priests) of Kedarnath will also be eligible for compensation now. The proposed amendments in the old film policy of the State will be discussed and a decision taken on this in the next cabinet meeting. Decisions related to the Health department were deferred to the next cabinet meeting since Health minister SS Negi was unable to attend the meet on Tuesday.