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Himachal cabinet okays ₹1,500-aid for female house helps
In a meeting chaired by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the cabinet gave its nod to expand the ambit of Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana to include women who have worked as domestic helps for 100 days or more
The Himachal cabinet on Tuesday approved ₹1,500 financial assistance for women employed as domestic helps, as well as their daughters aged 21 and above.
In a meeting chaired by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the cabinet gave its nod to expand the ambit of Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana to include women who have worked as domestic helps for 100 days or more. The officials said women working as domestic help will have to submit a certificate from the employer or an affidavit that to the same effect.
Till now, majority of the beneficiaries of the scheme were tribal women.
To address the problem of roadside parking and congestion across the state, the cabinet okayed opening of the feasible closed basement floors.
If the floor is used for any purpose other than parking, heavy penalties will be imposed and the individual concerned will have to restore the floor for parking use, said officials.
Relief to homestay operators
The Cabinet approved a new homestay policy and fixed the registration fee for such facilities in Pangi sub-division of Chamba district at 50% of the standard rate.
The cabinet approved relaxing certain conditions in the homestay policy made after recommendation of the cabinet sub-committee, and also divided homestays into silver, gold and diamond categories.
According to the new policy, Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration will not be applicable to homestays with rent less than ₹1,000 whereas those in silver and gold category will have to get GST registration.
MSP for organic crops hiked
The cabinet approved an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for organic crops. The MSP for organic wheat has been raised from ₹40 to ₹60 per kg, maize from ₹30 to ₹40 per kg. The cabinet okayed MSP for organic raw turmeric at ₹90 per kg and for barley from Pangi block in Chamba district at ₹60 per kg. It was decided to declare Pangi as the first “natural farming sub-division” of the state.
Water tariff relaxed
The cabinet decided to provide relief in water tariffs to residents of 14 newly-constituted nagar panchayats and the merged areas of the upgraded municipal corporations of Hamirpur, Una and Baddi, and municipal councils of Nadaun and Baijnath-Paprola. The decision also covers areas recently included in the Jwalamukhi, Dehra, Paonta Sahib municipal councils and the Jwali nagar panchayat. The water tariffs in these areas will continue at rural rates for three years.
Other key decisions
As many as 422 bus routes okayed across the state.
Establishment of nephrology, neurology and gastroenterology departments at Dr Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur, and 118 new posts in various categories to ensure smooth functioning.
Filling up 43 vacancies at technical vacancies at krishi vigyan kendras.
Opening a new division of the jal shakti vibhag at Sujanpur, Hamirpur.
Upgrade of the ayurvedic health centre at Kosari in Jaisinghpur assembly segment of Kangra district to a 10-bedded facility, along with creation and filling of necessary posts.
