In view of the upcoming Assembly election slated next year, the Harish Rawat Government has taken a string of decisions-the number standing at a whopping 48-at a Cabinet meeting held on late Tuesday evening.
In a significant decision, the Cabinet has empowered the sanctioned authority to divide big contracts into four smaller ones so as to ensure that the small contractors especially the locals, who cannot take part due to the involvement of huge amount of money in larger contracts, can now obtain the Government contracts.
For instance, a project worth `10 crore would remain out of bounds for the small contractors, given their limited turnover of `2 to 5 crore. But now, with the Cabinet clearing decks for dividing the big ticket contracts into four smaller ones, the smaller contractors would have no problem to get contracts directly from the State Government.
Previously, they used to get sub- contracts by coughing up a certain percentage to the bigger ones. The Government has empowered the sanctioning authority to take decisions by the light of its own discretion.
The Cabinet has also approved the rate of sugarcane price, an issue that is triggering stir by the unhappy growers. It is decided that the State Government will pay `10 more per quintal as to the amount paid by the UP-based sugar mills - `240 per quintal as the first installment. As the State-fixed minimum support price stands at `280-290 per quintal the State-based sugar mills will pay `240 per quintal as the first installment and remaining `40-50 per quintal will be paid as arrears later.
Taking strong note of the doctors’ strike who have been working by tying black badges by way of token protest, the Cabinet has constituted a committee comprising the chief secretary, chief principal secretary and principal secretary Health. The committee has been instructed to submit its report at the earliest.
Cabinet has also approved the State Song, which has been written by Hemant Bisht, a resident of Nainital.
This aside, the Cabinet has also declared Dhol as the State’s musical instrument. The Cabinet has decided that the State Government would not claim stamp duty from the cooperative committees which purchase lands to make them available for the Indira Awas Yojna beneficiaries.
Cabinet has also extended the validity of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates from the previous one year to three years.
Cabinet has also approved committees for the development of the infrastructure of the Government –run schools. Earlier, the committee was at the state level, but now the committee can be formed at the district and even school levels. The committee will build government schools and lay infrastructure through public contributions.
Cabinet has constituted a Cabinet sub-committee headed by the State finance minister Indira Hridayesh and other two Cabinet members - Dinesh Aggrawal and Surender Singh Negi. The cabinet sub- committee has been entrusted with the task of studying the amount of royalty to be imposed on the miners. Currently, Rs 50 per tonne is being collected from the miners by the State government by way of royalty. As per the High Court ruling, the State government can increase royalty on mined materials every three years. The time limit having expired in January 2016, the State government is now free to raise royalty.
Cabinet has approved social impact assessment rule which will be enforced in matters of acquisition of lands in the State. Hoarding rules have also been approved that would be applicable for the municipal corporation of the State. With this decision, the rate would be uniform across the State.
In another important decision, the Cabinet has also decided to give land ownership right to the land holders who had been given land on lease before Bangladesh came up in 1971. The beneficiaries will have to pay twentieth part of the circle rate based on year 2000. If they have already paid the same they will be transferred title right free of cost. If the lease holder has sold their land they will have to pay 20th part of the circle rate based on year 2010 to the State government the title right would be given to them.
Cabinet has also decided to ensure that form 16 is filled online from the next financial year. Initially, they will have to download form 16 electronically. The form 16 would no longer be sold manually. Cabinet has also approved Uttarakhand Rajya Yuva Netritva and Sharirik Vikas Yojna Karyakram (Uttarakhand state leadership and physical development scheme programme). Under it, the youth would be trained to make things easy for them as far as recruitment in the army, para-miliatary and police service is concerned. They will be trained by the Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD). Their training programme would be held for 10 days and eight camps in each block will be organized by PRD. Trainers will get `350 per day, the Cabinet decided.