Keeping in view the 2014 lok Sabha polls, Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday raised the income limit from Rs4.5 lakh to Rs5 lakh per annum to re-determine the creamy layer amongst the Other Backward Class (OBC).
Eyeing polls, State Government opened its box for jobs for the people of the State and decided to select about 7750 ASHA workers under the National Rural Health Mission in the health and family welfare department on honorarium basis. The ASHA workers would be given a monthly honorarium of Rs850.
The Cabinet meet chaired by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh decided that the State Government would adopt an action plan to contest the claim for release of arrears on account of 7.19 per cent share from Bhakra Nangal and Beas Projects (BBMB) in the Supreme Court.
In another major decision, Cabinet decided to go for re-bidding for allotment of 960 MW Jangi Thopan Powari Hydro Electric Project in Kinnaur district, which had earlier landed into legal controversy with legal battle reaching Supreme Court.
Cabinet gave its nod for creation of authority of Hydro Project safety, quality control and water management in the directorate of energy, for developing an efficient and effective monitoring mechanism of State Government in order to ensure safety, quality control, management of water flows, monitoring of the progress of allotment.
Subsequent execution of HEPs in private sector and for ensuring long-term generation capacity and residual life of hydro projects, which are under implementation in all the five river basins in the State. The Cabinet accorded its approval to enhance the authorised share capital of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation limited (HPPCl) from Rs1,000 crore to Rs1,500 crore.
To facilitate students in pursuing B Tech courses in private universities and engineering institutions in the State for the academic session 2013-14 on the basis of qualifying examinations, Cabinet gave nod for one-time permission for admission, provided the candidate secures 65 per cent marks in Physics, Maths and one of the subjects from Chemistry, Bio-Technology, computer science and biology.
The Cabinet also gave its approval for guidelines for selection of priority households in order to implement the UPA’s game changer scheme National Food Security Ordinance-2013, with certain modifications.
The Cabinet decided to enhance the financial assistance (old age pension) under the social security pension from Rs400 to Rs500 with effect from April 1, 2013 to ex-servicemen and their widows, thereby fulfilling the announcement made by the Chief Minister while present the budget for the year 2013-14.
The Cabinet decided to provide free travel facilities in deluxe and ordinary HRTC buses to Gallantry Award Winners within the State. It also cleared a proposal to provide one time incentive of Rs75,000 for all those students of the State, who were selected and had taken admission for degree courses in any of the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) or All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and for any post-graduate or diploma course in any Indian Institute of Management (IIMs).
The Cabinet decided to regularise the services of those Nepali daily waged workers (Beldars), who have completed eight years of regular service up to March 31, 2004 and engineer-in-chief (PWD) had been made the competent authority to issue ‘Certificate of Eligibility’ to them.