The State Government on Tuesday took a slew of measures supporting cashless transactions that include providing smart phones to the women groups or Sakhi Mandals and exemption of VAT to the gadgets facilitating electronic transactions.
Informing about the decisions taken by the Cabinet in its meeting, Cabinet Secretary SS Meena said that `30 crore had been allotted for purchasing smart phones.
“Promoting cashless transactions in the State the Cabinet has approved `30 crore for purchasing one lakh smart phones. The phones would be given to the members of Sakhi Mandals across the State. Similarly, VAT exemption on the phones priced less than `5000 and POS machines has been extended up to June 30,” said the official.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to inaugurate the scheme at Sahibganj on April 6 where some of the Sakhi Mandals would be handed over smart phones. The district would also get inland waterway port and the Cabinet has decided to allot 6.115 acre and .13 acre of GM and Gochar land to the Inland Waterways Authority for this purpose at Samadanala circle of Sahibganj.
The Cabinet also cleared proposals meant for widening and strengthening two important roads of the capital. `101 crore and `471.77 crore have been sanctioned for the roads from Birsa Munda Airport to Birsa Chowk and from Birsa Chowk to the Raj Bhawan, better known as Harmu Road, respectively.
Besides, `68.36 crore has been approved for developing Patrau as a major tourist destination of the State. Under the scheme, different tourist amenities like walking bridge, pathways, water parks and fronts etc would be built.
In another major decision, the Government has come out with a scheme meant for urban footpath hawkers. The scheme would make provisions for their management, survey, licensing, designating places and rehabilitation etc.
“The Cabinet has approved the extension of the tripartite agreement among the Center, the State and the RBI that deals with payment to be made to PSUs against power purchased from them by the State-owned power company. The agreement had ended on October 31, 2016 which has been extended up to 2026,” said the official.
This apart, an amendment to the section 90 (4) of the Mineral Area Development Authority (MADA) act has been approved that would hand over the powers to revise water rent to the Urban Development Department. Also, `46 crore under Blue Revolution for the promotion of caged fish culture in the State has been approved by the Cabinet. The amount would be shared on 50:50 basis with the Centre.
Meena added that decision to release `87 crore to BIT-Mesra which was pending against students taking admission from the State quota for 2013-14 to 2017-18 has been taken.