HP cabinet okays curbs on construction in Shimla
Sharing details, parliamentary affairs minister Harshvardhan Chauhan said that according to the new provision, constructions must be at least a metre below road level; he said the decision is aimed at preserving the valley’s aesthetic appeal
The state cabinet on Monday approved amendments to the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Rules, 2014, allowing to restrict construction of buildings on the valley side of the national highway within the Shimla municipal corporation (MC) limits, officials said.
The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in Shimla on Monday.
Sharing details, parliamentary affairs minister Harshvardhan Chauhan said that according to the new provision, constructions must be at least a metre below road level. He said the decision is aimed at preserving the valley’s aesthetic appeal.
The cabinet also decided to bring the adjoining forest area of Mata Tara Devi Temple in Shimla district under the green area of Shimla Development Plan to ensure sustainable development in the region. After notification, construction in the Taradevi green area will be banned.
It approved the Mukhya Mantri Green Adoption Yojana for plantations on degraded forest lands by private entrepreneurs under corporate social responsibility (CSR) to increase the actual forest area in the state.
E-taxis to 200 youngsters
The state cabinet approved framing of guidelines for hiring e-taxis under the Rajiv Gandhi Swarojgar Start-Up Yojana-2023. Chauhan said that under the scheme, the state government is providing 50% subsidy on electric taxis to youngsters. He said the cabinet decided to give 200 to 300 new vehicles to unemployed youth.
The cabinet gave a go ahead to merge the design wing with the civil wing in the public works department to streamline the functioning and improve operational efficiency.
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Other key decisions
Nod to Pashu Mitra Policy-2025. A total of 1,000 posts of multi-task workers to be filled in the animal husbandry department.
100 posts of junior office assistant (library) in the education department to be filled.
Nod to creating 10 posts of senior assistant and 15 posts of junior office assistant (IT) in the revenue department.
Five posts in the HP State Transport Appellate Tribunal, Hamirpur, to be filled.
Nod to enhancing the fodder grant for cow shelters from ₹700 per cattle per month to ₹1,200.
Approves increase in monthly honorarium of operation theatre assistants from ₹17,820 to ₹25,000 and for radiographers and X-ray technicians from ₹13,100 to ₹25,000.
