Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur Heads H.P. Cabinet Meeting

The State Cabinet in its meeting here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur appreciated the intensive exercise undertaken by the Cabinet Sub Committee to ascertain fiscal space with different departments. The Cabinet expressed concern over the large unspent funds of various departments and directed the departmental secretaries to vigorously monitor the utilization of these funds regularly.

The Cabinet directed the Administrative Secretaries of Public Works Department, Rural Development, IPH, and Power to develop a monitoring mechanism at a place for ensuring the utilization of funds available with their departments. The PWD and Jal Shakti Vibhag were directed to immediately update their schedule of rates and simplify the procedures including tendering.

The Cabinet approved the concept of Portal for registration of those people who have come to HP and are in need of either a job or up-gradation of their skills. It was decided that the scheme for loans for working capital requirements with interest subvention for the tourism sector be prepared by the Tourism Department immediately.

The Cabinet also stressed the need for promotion of e-NAM, Constant monitoring/touch with Ladaanis, Labour, Mandis, etc., augmenting CA storage, milk procurement processing, and active involvement of SHGs in marketing to facilitate the farmers.

The Cabinet also decided to set up a committee under the Chairmanship of Industry Minister with ACS MPP & Power, Principal Secretary Revenue, Principal Secretary Agriculture, Pr. Secretary to Chief Minister, Secretary IPH and Secretary Horticulture to discuss the issue of likely shortage of labor in different sector and come up with solutions.

It also decided to set up a committee under the Chairmanship of Social Justice and Empowerment Minister with ACS Labour and Pr. Secretary Finance to examine the present system of sanction of Schemes under the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan Demand 32 and to propose a system for simplification and better monitoring of these schemes.

The Cabinet also decided to set up a committee under the Chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary Power, assisted by Director Energy and Director Industries to evaluate how CSR funding could be leveraged for the development of the State.

The Cabinet also decided to identify one hospital in each Sub Division and make a proposal to equip the same both in terms of manpower and equipment to create better health infrastructure at the ground level and avoid unnecessary referrals.

It decided to regularize the services of all those part-time water carriers in the Education Department who have completed 13 years of combined services, which includes five years as a daily wage and eight years as a part-time water carrier. Earlier, 14 years were required for regularization in this category.

The Cabinet decided to allow the Education Department to procure and supply school uniforms through HP State Civil Supplies Corporation under ‘Atal School Vardi Yojna’ for the year 2019-20 for the students of 1^st to 12^th classes. This will benefit about 8.31 lakh students of the State.

It gave its approval to fill up 10 posts of Statistical Assistants in Women and Child Development Department through direct recruitment on a contract basis.

The Cabinet also gave the approval to fill up three posts of different categories in Sub Employment Office Padhar in district Mandi to man this office.

It accorded its consent to start science classes in Government Senior Secondary School, Sari Bhekhali in Kullu district along with the creation of two posts of lecturers to facilitate the students.