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Shimla, August 8 (HS). The Sukhu government of Himachal Pradesh has started taking tough decisions to improve the poor financial condition of the state. After making changes in the 125 unit free electricity scheme, the Sukhu government, which is facing financial crisis, has now stopped the facility of free water being provided to the people in rural areas. In the cabinet meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, the decision of providing free water in the rural areas of the state, taken by the previous BJP government, has been abolished.
Cabinet Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan said that the previous BJP government had announced to provide free water in rural areas a few months before the elections. Due to this, the Jal Shakti Department is incurring a huge loss. He said that now there will be a charge on water connection in rural areas and people will have to pay a monthly fee of Rs 100. He said that people with income less than 50 thousand, handicapped, widows and single women will continue to get free water as before.
Let us tell you that people in the rural areas of the state were getting free water facility for the last two years. Actually, the former BJP government had announced free water for the rural areas of the state in the year 2022. From May 2022, people in rural areas were not having to pay water bills and about 15 lakh people benefited from this. Now due to the decision of the Sukhu government, lakhs of people will have to loosen their pockets.
Police personnel will have to pay fare for travelling in buses
The cabinet has decided to re-advertise 168 loss-making bus routes of HRTC so that the losses can be reduced. Police personnel travelling in HRTC buses will get free service only for government work, otherwise they will not get the benefit of the service. According to the cabinet decision, all police personnel, jail officers, Himachal Pradesh Secretariat security services staff availing concessional facility in HRTC buses will be reimbursed for the travel done in HRTC buses.
The government will provide residential facilities on rent for three months to the disaster affected people
The government has made a big announcement for the disaster affected people in the cabinet. It was decided in the cabinet that those disaster affected families whose houses have been damaged will be provided financial assistance for residential facility on rent of Rs 10,000 per month in urban areas and Rs 5,000 per month in rural areas for a period of three months from August 1, 2024 to October 31, 2024. Along with this, it has been decided to provide them free ration, LPG cylinder, utensils and bedding. Immediate financial assistance of Rs 50,000 will also be distributed to the affected families.
Job openings opened, 1000 posts to be filled
The cabinet has decided to fill about 1000 posts by opening the job box for the unemployed. It was decided to create and fill 462 posts of different categories in Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda in Kangra district. This includes 14 posts of medical officers and four each of psychiatrist and clinical psychologist, 300 posts of staff nurses, 2 of radiographers, 47 of ward boys, 4 of operation theater assistants, 2 of transplant coordinators, 10 of data entry operators, 5 of class IV, 40 of sweepers and 30 posts of security guards.
Similarly, it has been decided to create and fill 489 posts of various categories in IGMC, Shimla and Atal Institute of Medical Super Specialities Chamiyana. These include 21 posts of Specialist Medical Officer in IGMC Shimla and 7 posts of Super-Speciality Medical Officer in Chamiyana Hospital. Approval has been given to fill 400 posts of Staff Nurse, 43 of Operation Theatre Assistant, 11 of Nursing Orderly-cum-Dresser, 2 of Dietician, 1 of Physiotherapist and 4 of Data Entry Operator. Approval has been given to create Environment Division in Urban Development Directorate and to create 5 posts of various categories to monitor waste management activities.
Approval was also given in the meeting to create and fill 12 posts of Assistant District Attorney in the Prosecution Department.
Approval was given to create and fill 12 posts of various categories for the new sub-division Kanjayan of Jal Shakti Department in Samirpur and Bharedi blocks of Hamirpur district.
Amendments made in mining rules
The Cabinet has decided to amend the Himachal Pradesh Minor Minerals (Concession) and Minerals (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2015. Under the new provisions, suitable private land available for mining in the state can be auctioned for extraction of minerals with the consent of the land owners for which 80 per cent of the annual bid amount will be paid to the land owners. In addition, mineral excavation in river beds has been permitted using machinery to promote systematic, scientific and sustainable mining and to meet the growing demand for minerals. The depth of mining in river beds has been increased from the existing one metre to two metres. Provision has been made to allow extraction of sand and gravel up to a depth of two metres from agricultural fields after every monsoon season, which will be treated as non-mining activity. In addition, the new amendments will charge Rs 5 per tonne as electric vehicle fee, Rs 5 per tonne as online fee and Rs 2 per tonne as milk cess. For use of material obtained from non-mining activities, 75 per cent of the royalty (Rs 140 per tonne) will be payable to the government as processing fee.
The Cabinet approved bringing the recruitment process for the posts of Police Constables under the jurisdiction of Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission.
