Time ticking for the election, the Harish Rawat government continues to shower sops on the people of the state. The cabinet meeting held on Tuesday proves no exception with the state government having taken string of decisions meant to woo the electorate ahead of the election.
The cabinet has decided that if the unemployed youth whose names are registered with the employment exchange, form self- help groups (SHG) involving at least 10 registered members they would be provided with Rs 1.5 lakh as cash assistance for start- ups in farming, including agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and sericulture. The scheme has been named Mukhya Mantri Yuva Swablamban Yojana. To execute the scheme, a high- power committee led by chief secretary has been formed. Besides, the cabinet announced that the rural development department would act as its nodal department. Cabinet has also revised the qualification required for the post of Gram Panchayat Adhikari. From now onwards, only the graduates can apply in tune with the norms laid down by the finance commission which has hiked their grade pay to Rs 2400.
Cabinet has also approved the Industry Department Service Rule. Besides, the posts of the assistant directors would be filled through 50 percent direct recruitment and the rest through promotion. Cabinet has also divided promotional posts- 31 percent for assistant managers, 10 percent for statistical officers and nine percent for assistant development officers.
In another largesse, Cabinet has upgraded Bhimtal Nagar Panchayat to the status of a municipal council and Rishikesh municipality to municipal corporation. Cabinet has changed the name of Bridge and Ropeway Infrastructure Development Corporation to Bridge and Ropeway Tunnel and Other Infrastructure Development Corporation (BRTIDC). Cabinet has also approved the structure of urban development department. However, importantly, it has left the formation of new districts to the new government. At the same time, the state government has earmarked Rs 1000 crore as a corpus fund meant to facilitate the carving out of the new districts. Cabinet has also revised the turn- over limit for higher education. Earlier, the required turnover was Rs five crore, but now it would be Rs two crore.
In a major sop to the sulking contractual teachers, Cabinet has regularized 24 of them working in Kumaon University with immediate effect. Cabinet has also cleared decks for the contractual teachers, working in Garhwal University, who have been demanding to be merged with Sridev Suman University, to be appointed as guest faculty in the hilly area of Sridev Suman University. Their perk would be Rs 35,000 per month in place of the earlier Rs 15000 per month.
Cabinet has also discussed the report of drought situation prevailing in some parts of the state. Cabinet has decided to bear 50 percent electricity charge of the tube wells for the ongoing Rabi season. Besides, the state government has pledged to bear the farmers’ contribution in the agriculture insurance for the same season.
Cabinet has dwelt at length on the Bhagirathi Eco Sensitive Zone notification issued in 2011. Initially, it was for 40 square kilometer area but in final notification, the area was expanded to 4000 square kilometer. Intention behind the notification was challenged in December 2012. Despite, the Vidhan Sabha and the Cabinet having passed several resolutions and sent to the Centre on the matter, the Centre was yet to act on them, said the chief secretary S Ramaswamy while briefing the media after the cabinet meeting was over. He regretted that the master plan envisaged by the state government had been rejected by the Centre despite a committee comprising members of Geological survey of India (GSI) and other experts having raised objection to the notification on August 31, 2016.
“As per the ESZ, if land slope is located at 20 degree angle a road cannot be built. This contradicts the stance of Indian Road Congress which permits road to be built up to 60 degree angle. We demand the NGT to keep this in view particularly in view of Uttarakhand being a Himalayan state. Even if the Centre makes any rule they are expected to give time for transition to shift from one rule to another. But in this case, they have not given us the time for transition,” he said.
CS alluded to the Central Pollution Control Board allowing upto 25 MW hydro power plant under white category. “It means that such projects do not disturb the ecological system. In case of Uttarakhand, they have lowered the limit to 2MW. Although topography here is more or less similar to Himachal Pradesh they cleared their projects without mentioning the slope limits. As far as the master plan is concerned we could not have gone to Delhi on December 26 as Prime Minister was to visit Dehradun on December 27. This is why we made our presentation on December 29,” he said.
He further said that the cabinet has also reiterated the fact that Uttarakhand has four percent of the total forest cover in India. “In 2013-14, we have increased our forest cover area by five percent. We have been making contribution in ecological service too, but we are not getting anything in return. Cabinet has asked the state government to write to the Centre, asking it to reciprocate the state’s contribution in the ecological arena,” CS said.
Cabinet has also decided to merge the employees working in same projects so as to spare them the trouble of running from place to place after the project is completed. As several employees are hired in the central sponsored schemes and the foreign- aided projects it is an imperative to merge them in a department if the latter goes for fresh recruitment against the vacant posts.
Cabinet has also decided to form Khadar Development Board, which will take care of Khadar area which is along the river Ganga that descends in the plains in Haridwar district.
Besides, the Cabinet has earmarked Rs 50 lakh corpus fund for the Chand Vardayee Scholarship scheme. Cabinet has also decided to write to the Centre to include Sikhlighar caste in Scheduled Caste category. Chakrata road development plan, framed by MDDA, would be finalized soon. Cabinet has decided to regularize Premnagar as per the circle rate of year 2000.
The families displaced due to the construction of lakhwad Vyasi Hydro Power Project in Jeevangarh silk farm land would be rehabilitated. An inquiry led by Justice MS Chouhan will probe the graft charges leveled by the PM. It would be limited as per the information commissioner recommendation made while it was hearing the RTI petition on the matter.