The Monsoon Session of Uttarakhand Assembly would be held on September 18, 19, 20 and 24 September in Dehradun. The State Cabinet decided this on Monday. The Budget Session of the Assembly was held at Gairsain in March and as per the rules, there should not be more than a time period of six months between two sessions. The Cabinet discussed a total of 20 issues which were brought before it on the day.
The senior Cabinet Minister and State Government spokesperson Madan Kaushik said that at the start of the Cabinet meeting, a proposal of condolence for death of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was brought by the Chief Minister following which silence of two minutes was observed by the Cabinet as mark of respect to the departed leader.
He said that in an important move, the State Government has moved a Special leave Petition (SlP) in the Supreme Court (SC) on the decision of Uttarakhand High Court (HC) to abolish the system of revenue police in the State. Kaushik said that the State Government is in favour of continuing the system of revenue policing which covers 58 percent of the population of Uttarakhand.
In another important decision, the State Cabinet approved the proposal to merge the sports and youth welfare department. The name of the new department would be Uttarakhand Sports, Youth Welfare and Prantiya Raksha Dal Department. Kaushik said that with an objective to increase connectivity, the State cabinet on Monday decided that the Dehradun-Mussoorie and the Govindghat- Ghagharia Ropeway projects would be set up under the Public Private Participation (PPP) Mode. The 5.5 km long Dehradun-Mussoorie ropeway project is likely to cost Rs 285 crores and it would be constructed on Maximum Concession Fee model. On the other hand, the 7.8 km long Govindghat-Ghagaria ropeway is estimated to be constructed at a cost of Rs 799.63 crores and it would be completed under Maximum Revenue Sharing scheme.
The Minister said that the Cabinet has also accepted the plea of waiving off additional Rs 37 lakh the district administration of Almora has imposed for transfer of 25 acre of land to the Vocational Courses University to be set up by the Ramco Energy and Projects Private limited in Almora. The Cabinet also extended the term of GVK-EMRI company to operate the 108 emergency ambulance services in the State for the next six months. It also directed the health department to ensure that the tender process to select new operator for the ambulance service is completed soon. The State cabinet approved amendment in Uttarakhand Molasses Control and Conditioning Act 1964 to increase the penalty for violating the norms from existing Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000.
In a move meant to give relief to the farmers who sell small pieces of their land, the cabinet cleared the proposal to impose a cess of 10 percent on the circle rate for land conversion under Section 143 of Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition Act-1950. In another decision, the Cabinet amended the Uttarakhand Promotion in Government Service regulations after which one adverse entry in five years in CR would make the employee not eligible for promotions.
The cabinet also approved the National Sports Development Code for Governing the sports associations in the State. A proposal for a loan of Rs 799.63 crore from the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to the Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) was also put before the cabinet on the day under which the State Government would act as the guarantor.
Kaushik added that the existing fees on grant of permit for ethanol would be abolished.
The Cabinet also brought amendments in the Uttarakhand Denatured Spirit and Uttarakhand land Consolidation Regulations on the day.