The State Cabinet on Monday decided to increase the salary structure of Adhyapak cadre at par with those teaching under panchayat and municipalities. The difference in the salary at present would be provided to the adhyapaks in four yearly installments.
This decision would incur additional financial burden of Rs 400 crore to the exchequer. The adhyapaks had been demanding for long that they should be provided with similar wages for similar work. In this regard, the adhyapaks had recently launched massive agitation and later, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had declared to accept their demands and finally on Monday, it was endorsed by the Cabinet.
Besides, the Cabinet also decided to pay the fees of those Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students studying MBBS, BDS, Engineering, Nursing, BEd, Polytechnic diploma and pharmacy in private colleges. Till date, the Government used to pay the fees for only those students studying in Government colleges.
Under this, the minimum fees decided by the Fee Regulatory Committee would be paid to the private colleges. With this decision, around 35,000 students would be benefited. In a major decision, the Cabinet reduced the Value Added Tax (VAT) on Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) to 5 per cent. At present, in Bhopal and Indore, this VAT on ATF is charged at 23 per cent, while at other places, it is 13 per cent.
The Cabinet also hiked the discretionary fund of Governor up to Rs 1 crore per year. Earlier, it was Rs 50 lakh. Of this amount, the Governor may also provide financial help up to 25 per cent to the people of other States. A Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here on Monday accorded administrative sanction of Rs 1,525.14 crore for 17 irrigation projects.
Administrative sanction of Rs 311.62 crore has been accorded for Rani Avantibai lodhi Sagar left bank canal, Rs 183.70 crore for Bhanpur canal project, Rs 28.89 crore for Bagh international major irrigation project, Rs 81.34 crore for Deewanganj canal project, Rs 5.56 crore for Kunwar Chain Singh Sagar (Dudhi) irrigation project, Rs 49.01 crore for Bilgaon medium irrigation project, Rs 52.39 crore for Pancham Nagar medium irrigation project, Rs 52.66 crore for Pawai medium irrigation project, Rs 19.92 crore for Surajpura medium irrigation project, Rs 375.75 crore for Pench diversion project, Rs 50.27 crore for Mahuar medium irrigation project and Rs 37.04 crore for Sonpur medium irrigation project.