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In a U-turn, cash-strapped HP government gives nod to lease chopper
The Himachal CM had been touring the state’s flood-hit areas by road and spoke of his disinterest in using helicopter service
Two weeks after chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced his preference for road travel over using a chopper, the state cabinet, which on Tuesday convened for the first time after the devastating floods, granted its approval to lease a 15-seater helicopter for government use.
Earlier, the state government had been utilising the services of OSS company’s helicopter on a rental fee ranging from ₹2.3-2.7 lakh per hour. However, this agreement expired in June, leaving the government without a helicopter since then.
Consequently, the CM had been travelling extensively by road across the state and spoke of his disinterested chopper.
Following the termination of the previous agreement, the government invited tenders for leasing a helicopter, which marked the fourth such instance. In the tender process that occurred on Saturday, both Air Charter and OSS participated in the bidding for a five-seater helicopter, while Heligo submitted their bid for a larger helicopter. Eventually, the government finalised a bid for the 15-seater chopper and will now pay ₹2.58 lakh per month for its lease.
Besides, the cabinet has decided to celebrate Independence Day in flood-ravaged Kullu, with the aim of uplifting the morale of the people severely impacted by the floods.
The council of ministers also announced the decision to launch the Mukhya Mantri Van Vistaar Yojna, aiming to include barren areas in hills and mountains across all districts of the state with the objective of expanding the green cover of the state, preventing soil erosion and excessive runoff on degraded and refractory hills slopes.
To ensure the effective implementation of this scheme, a task force will be constituted under the chairpersonship of the principal chief conservator of forests. The maintenance of selected areas will be for seven years and outsourcing of plantation and maintenance will be done preferably involving local inhabitants.
The cabinet decided to create and fill up 136 additional posts of nursing and paramedical staff in order to make the Trauma Centre and emergency medicine department, IGMC, Shimla, functional to facilitate the patients. It would ensure that all the related six departments of neurosurgery, radiology, plastic surgery, anaesthesia, orthopaedics and general surgery will function in three shifts round the clock.
It decided to fill up 87 posts of different categories in various municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats in the state.
The cabinet also gave a go-ahead to set up a project management unit in the revenue department to deal effectively with natural calamities, along with creation and filling up of 14 posts of different categories.
A nod was also given to create posts of assistant district attorneys for newly-established Civil Courts at Dharampur and Padhar in Mandi district and additional district and session courts at Nurpur, Dehra, Palampur, Paonta Sahib and Rohru, seven posts of deputy district attorneys for POCSO courts and the special CBI court.
Creation and filling up of seven posts of various categories in the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission was also approved, as was the enhancement of the honorarium by ₹500 of special police officers posted in border areas of the state.
A draft Himachal Pradesh municipal corporation, municipal council and nagar panchayat maintenance of Parivar Register Rules, 2023, for maintaining proper records of families residing in urban areas also got the cabinet stamp.
A presentation was given on the Himachal Pradesh Lease Rules, 2013, as amended in 2016 and 2017, to examine the issue of granting leases to hydro-electric projects from a holistic perspective and submit recommendations on the lease amount to be charged. The number of trees standing over the land proposed to be allowed as Nautor should not exceed two. It will be provided for domestic purposes only and the person shall not be involved in any kind of forest offences.
