News
HP Cabinet Decisions August 8, 2019: Amendment in Recruitment/Promotion Rules of Class III, IV Posts, Filling Up Over 1500 Posts, School Exams for Class 5th and 8th Reinstated
Shimla-The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet meeting was held on August 8, 2018, under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. Various decisions were taken in in this meeting.
The Cabinet approved to amend the Recruitment and Promotion Rules of various categories Class III and Class-IV posts by making the passing of Matric and plus two examinations from schools situated in Himachal Pradesh mandatory for being eligible for class-III posts and passing of 8th or 10th from schools from Himachal Pradesh for class-IV posts. These conditions will not be applicable to bonafide Himachalis as defined by the State Government from time to time.
The Cabinet accorded its consent to implement “The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Act, 2019 regarding conducting 5th and 8th class examination for which questions papers and answer sheets will be provided by Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education Dharamshala and conduction of examination and evaluation will be accomplished under the supervision of Deputy Director, Elementary Education of the concerned district.
It also gave its nod to continue the services of already engaged SMC teachers on a period basis in Elementary/Higher Education Department for academic session 2019-20.
The Cabinet gave its consent to increase the upper age limit for availing the benefits of newly launched ‘Mukhya Mantri Swablamban Yojna- 2019 from 35 years to 45 years.
School Safety Project Guidelines
In order to prepare schools for emergencies and ensure that they are resilient to face disasters and to sensitize school children and school community on disasters preparedness and safety measures, the Cabinet gave its approval for School Safety Project Guidelines for implementation to reduce disaster risk in schools of the State.
Other Decisions Taken in Cabinet Meeting Including Filling Up of Various Post
- Increase in financial assistance to the eligible destitute women and widows under Mother Teresa Matri Asahay Sambal Yojna from existing Rs. 5000 to Rs. 6000 per child per annum subject to a maximum of two children for their proper upbringing.
- Approval for selection and imparting patwari training to 1195 candidates (933 candidates in Mohal side and 262 candidates in Settlement side) and 17 eligible chainmen of settlement department Shimla and Kangra in order to fill up vacancies in next five years.
- Nod to establish a ‘Disability Cell’ in the Directorate of Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities and Empowerment of Specially Abled Persons Department for the empowerment of persons with special abilities alongwith filling up of requisite posts to man the Cell.
- To fill up seven posts of different categories in Bal Ashrams being run by Himachal Pradesh Child Welfare Council at Sunni, Kalehali and Kalpa.
- Nod to open Sub Employment Office at Bali Chowki in Mandi district alongwith creation and filling up of requisite posts.
- To create and fill up 17 posts of different categories and provide two new vehicles for the newly opened Fire Post at Padhar in Mandi district.
- Consent to open Fire Sub Station at Gohar in Mandi district alongwith creation and filling up of 23 posts of various categories and three vehicles.
- Increase in the honorarium of Special Police Officers deployed in those areas of Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti districts bordering Jammu and Kashmir from existing Rs. 6000 to Rs. 7000 per month.
- Open Block Medical Office in Shri Naina Devi Ji in Bilaspur district alongwith creation and filling up of 15 posts of different categories to man this office.
- To upgrade Community Health Centre Markande in Bilaspur district to 50 bedded Civil Hospital alongwith creation and filling up of 18 posts of different categories.
- Consent to upgrade Primary Health Centre Bachhabain in Kangra district to Community Health Centre alongwith creation and filling up of 19 posts.
- Open Block Medical Office at Basdehara in Una district alongwith creation and filling up of three posts.
- To fill up of 73 different posts in Civil Hospital Paonta Sahib.
- To upgrade Community Health Centre Salooni in Chamba district to 50 bedded Civil Hospital alongwith creation and filling up of 33 posts of different categories.
- Nod to convert 10 posts of Clerks to Junior Office Assistant (IT) in Excise and Taxation Department and four posts of Clerks to Junior Office Assistant (IT) in Youth Services and Sports Department and fill up them on a contract basis.
- To create 21 posts of different categories in Panchayati Raj Department on a contract basis.
- Nod to start science classes in Government Senior Secondary Schools, Shalla in Mandi district, Swarghat, Toba, Tamboul, Suin Surah and Deoth in Bilaspur district and Commerce classes in Government Senior Secondary Schools, Dehan in Kangra district, Behal, Lakhnoo, Chhakoh and Chadol in Bilaspur district alongwith creation of 26 posts of PGTs to facilitate the students.
- To start Science classes in Government Senior Secondary School, Bara in Mandi district and Commerce classes in Government Senior Secondary Schools, Bara and Saroa in Mandi district alongwith creation and filling up of nine posts of PGTs to facilitate the students.
- To fill up three posts of Hostel Superintendent cum PTI in the Technical Education Department.
- To start new trades of Mechanical Diesel Engine, Computer Operator and Programming Assistant, Electrician and Sewing Technology in Government ITI Summerkot in Shimla district alongwith creation and filling up of 12 posts of different categories.
- To introduce four new trades of Electrician, IT, Plumber and Fashion Design and Technology in Government ITI Nerwa in district Shimla alongwith creation and filling up of 12 posts of different categories.
- To create and fill up 29 posts of different categories in Directorate of Energy through direct recruitment.
The Cabinet gave its nod to strengthen the Emergency Response and Support System by providing 13 Bolero vehicles one each in every police district of the State to be used as Emergency Response Vehicle in emergent situations. These vehicles would be equipped with Mobile Data Terminals which would be linked with Public Safety Answering Point.
The Cabinet decided to outsource the work of ‘Arogya Mitra’ for execution of ‘Ayushman Bharat-Pradhanmantri Jan Arogya Yojna and Himcare’ in Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College Chamba, Radhakrishanan Medical College, Hamirpur, Dr. Y.S. Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan and Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Nerchowk Mandi and District Hospitals, Zonal Hospitals, Regional Hospitals and Civil Hospitals.
It decided to create a separate department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda and create one post each of Professor and Associate Professor and two posts of Assistant Professor. It also decided to create two posts of Assistant Professors in Super Specialty Cell of Paediatric Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology in the Paediatric Department of Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda.
The Cabinet decided to provide 16 slice CT Scan machine in Zonal Hospital Mandi, DDU Zonal Hospital, Shimla, Regional Hospital, Kullu and Civil Hospital, Palampur on PPP mode in place of dual slice CT Scan machines.
In Civil Hospitals, Rohru, Rampur, Nurpur, Sundernagar, Paonta Sahib and Kotkhai, Zonal Hospital Dharamshala would also be replaced by 16 slice CT Scan machines provided there were 500 CT Scans per month continuously for six months in these institutions.
Shimla-Himachal Pradesh Government employees working in different departments before January 3, 2022, would be given a higher scale at par with other employees on completion of two years tenure of regular service. A higher pay scale was also announced for the Junior Office Assistants (IT) on completion of two years of regular service.
Chief Minister Jairam Thakur made these announcements during the Karamchari Maha Sammelan of the Himachal Pradesh Non-Gazetted Employees Federation at the hotel Peterhof on Sunday.
He appreciated the role played by the employee especially frontline workers in the battle against the pandemic.
He said most of the government employees in the state have been given revised pay scales and on average, every employee has got the benefit of a 12 to 15 percent salary hike. There has also been an increase in the pension of about 1.50 lakh pensioners of the state. The financial benefits of Rs. 7801 crore have been given to state government employees and pensioners from the year 2018 to 2022. The pensioners who retired before 2016 are getting the benefit of a 15 to 20 percent increase in the pension while around 40 thousand pensioners who retired after 2016 would be benefitted soon, he said.
He said the daily wages were Rs. 210 in the year 2017 which has been increased by the present state government to Rs. 350. Similarly, 12 per cent interim relief annually has been provided to government employees and pensioners during the present government’s tenure. He said the Himachal government has provided Dearness Allowance to its employees and pensioners on the lines of Punjab and Central governments from the due date. The Punjab government has given only 5 percent interim relief to the employees while the Himachal government has provided 21 percent interim relief to its employees.
“Out of the total interim relief amount given to the employees and pensioners amounting to about Rs. 6500 crore, Rs. 3500 crore has been paid during the tenure of our government” added the Chief Minister.
He said that the state government has increased the government contribution for NPS employees from 10 percent to 14 percent benefitting more than one lakh employees. The NPS employees are being given the benefits of retirement and death gratuity at par with employees falling under the old pension scheme. The government has also increased the upper limit of death gratuity from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh.
The Chief Minister said the state government has also increased the honorarium of para-workers working in various departments. The salary of outsource workers has been hiked by Rs 1,500 per month.
Non-Gazetted Employees Federation President Ashwani Thakur thanked the Chief Minister for providing various financial and other benefits to different categories of government employees.
New Delhi-The Centre has issued a notification to the States informing that the provisions of the Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005 will not be invoked in the country after March 31. The Union Health Ministry said that the use of face masks and following hand hygiene will continue.
It implies that most of the Covid-related rules and restrictions would end.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla issued the notification which said that the decision was taken following the overall improvement in the situation and the preparedness of the government in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, local authorities and State police can still invoke fines and criminal cases against persons violating COVID-19 norms under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a senior government official said.
The DM Act was invoked on March 24, 2020, due to the pandemic
“Over the last seven weeks or so there has been a steep decline in the number of cases. The total caseload in the country stands at 23,913 only and the daily positivity rate has declined to 0.28%. It is also worth mentioning that with the combined efforts, a total of 181.56 Cr vaccine doses have been administered,” the notification said.
“I would like to mention that in view of the nature of the disease, we still need to remain watchful of the situation. Wherever any surge in the number of cases is observed, the States/UTs may consider taking prompt and proactive action at a local level, as advised by MoHFW (Health Ministry) from time to time,” the notification said.
The Indian government had issued various guidelines and measures for the first time on March 24, 2020, under the Disaster Management Act to curb the COVID-19 situation in the country, which have been modified several times thereafter.
India currently has 23,087 active COVID-19 cases and recorded 1,778 new cases and 62 deaths in the last 24 hours. The daily positivity rate has also declined to 0.28%.
Shimla-A meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet was held on March 20, 2022, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
The excise policy for the financial year 2022-23 was approved. Approval was also given for the renewal of retail excise vends in the state for the financial year 2022-23 at the renewal fees of 4% of the value of unit/vend.
The State Government said that wants to enhance the government revenue and curb the smuggling of country liquor from the neighbouring states by a reduction in its price.
The brands of Country Liquor will be cheaper as license fees have been reduced. This will help in providing good quality liquor at a cheaper rate to the consumers.
In the new excise policy, the 15% fixed quota of country liquor for manufacturers and bottlers to be supplied to the retail licensees has been abolished. According to the government, this step will give the retail licensees to lift their quota from the suppliers of their choice and further assure the supply of good quality country liquor at competitive prices. The MRP of country liquor will be cheaper by 16% of the existing price.
In this year’s policy, the Gaudhan Vikas Nidhi Fund has been enhanced by Re.1/- from the existing Rs.1.50 to Rs.2.50.
The fixed annual license fee of Bars has been rationalized by abolishing the area-specific slabs of license fee. Now throughout the State, there will be uniform license slabs based upon the room capacity in hotels.
Rates of the annual fixed license fee of Bars in the tribal areas has been reduced considerably.
Further, all the above stakeholders will have to install CCTV cameras at their establishments as it was made mandatory for them.
Wholesale vends and retail vends, the penalty provisions under the H.P. Excise Act, 2011 have been made more stringent.
An end to end online Excise Administration System would be established in Himachal Pradesh, the government said.
HP Government estimates a collection of Rs 2131 crore revenue during the year, which will be Rs. 264 crores higher than the financial year 2021-22 – growth of 14% in state excise revenues.
The Cabinet also gave its nod to amend Himachal Pradesh Disaster Relief Manual-2012 to include deaths due to biting of honey bees, hornet and wasps, accidental drowning and deaths due to accidents of vehicles (including land, water and air) under this Manual.
The Cabinet gave its approval for filling up 11 posts of ‘A’ Class Tehsildar in Revenue Department through direct recruitment on regular basis through Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission.
HP State Toll Policy 2022-23
The HP Cabinet also gave its nod to HP State Toll Policy for the year 2022-23 which envisages auction cum tender for all the toll barriers in the State. During the year 2021-22, toll revenue has registered a growth of 20 percent of the previous year’s revenue.
