With lok Sabha elections round the corner the state government offered sops by increasing the income limit of creamy layers of Other Backward Caste (OBC) from existing Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh and decided to give Government jobs to 1.70 lakh Shiksha mitras. Besides, Government also announced introduction of Samajwadi Pension scheme that would benefit over 40 lakh poor families.
"We have taken some historical decisions today that will benefit young and old. When old will get pension for their subsistence while the young will get job," Chief Minister Akhilesh yadav said after Cabinet meeting where these decisions were taken here on Tuesday.
In one of the major administrative decision that extends reservation benefits to Other Backward Caste the Akhilesh Yadav Government hiked the income limit of creamy layer for the OBCs. Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani said that the income limit has been increased to Rs 8 lakh per annum against existing Rs 5 lakh.
."The family having an yearly income less than Rs 8 lakh would be deemed under creamy layer and would be entitled to get the reservation benefit," he said.
.In another decision the state cabinet has authorised Chief Minister to draw up a rule to amend the present law to absorb 1.70 lakh working Shiksha Mitras in the state who have completed their training. The new rule would be announced within a week's time, Chief Secretary said.
The state cabinet gave a go ahead to the government to disband Rani laxmibai Pension Scheme and instead announced Samajwadi Pension Scheme that would provide pension of Rs 500 per month to about 4 million poor families of the state. Though this scheme would be launched in next fiscal but all formalities would be completed before the lok Sabha election.
Claiming it to be the biggest welfare scheme of the state Usmani, said that this scheme would cover 10 per cent of the total population of the state. The scheme would presently cover only the poor living in villages. As per government reports 30 per cent of the total 200 million population in the state is under the poverty line hence every one of the three families under the poverty line would be benefited with this scheme, he said.
.Usmani said the scheme would run as conditional transfer scheme like the Janani Suraksha Yojana where the pension would be hiked by Rs 50 per year for next five years if the beneficiary families fulfill the conditions. The scheme will cover around 4 million families whose total population would be around 20 million.
Usmani said of the total beneficiaries 1.2 million or 30 per cent would be from Schedule Caste, one million or 25 per cent of the minorities and remaining 1.8 million or 45 per cent from the other castes.
"The new Samajwadi Pension would be eligible for the families who are not receiving other pensions of the government or from any other sources excluding laxmi Bai pension. Those who are filing IT returns, have two wheeler or four wheeler or any other farm equipment and if any of the family members are receiving unemployment allowances or receiving wages by government, private or NGOs would not be entitled for this benefit," he said.
.The farmers who have irrigated land of more than half acre and non-irrigated land of one acre are also not eligible for the pension, Usmani said and added that a priority list has been prepared to give pension. The first priority would be given to the present beneficiaries of the Rani laxmi Bai
pension, second priority would be given to the landless farmers, third to the women head of the family, then to the handicapped head of the family and then the family which is headed by over 50 year age person.
In another decision government announced a major expansion plan for policing in Gautam Buddha Nagar district making it at par with the national capital. The new expansion plan will have 7 new police stations including a women and cyber police stations, a Forensic Science laboratory, five new fire stations and introduction of Intelligent Transport Management System besides an ultra-modern police control room in Noida.
Usmani said here that the new police stations would be set up at Phase-3, Eco Tech 1 and 3, Knowledge Park and at Expressway. Noida will also have a women police station and a cyber crime police station along with a lab. An ultra modern police control room would be set up in Noida besides a Forensic Science lab will be set up.
The government has also changed the promotion policy of the Higher Judical Services. Now 65 per cent would seats be reserved for promotion from the Judicial Services to Higher Judicial Services which was earlier only 50 per cent.
The state government has approved the three projects under the DMIC. The first project is of an Integrated Industrial Township in 740 acres of land in Noida, the second is a Multi-Model Transport Hub in Boraki in Greater Nodia in 700 acres of land and the last is a Multi- Model logistic Hub in Dadri in around 1200 acres of land.
The state government has also approved a decision of the Allahabad High Court to demolish 6 bungalows of the High Court in Allahabad for its expansion. PWD would demolish these bungalows where 30 court rooms and 20 chambers of the judges would be constructed.