Himachal Pradesh Cabinet in its Meeting granted approval to the Financial Assistance and Support Service Scheme to the victims of Rape by ensuring affected women not only financial assistance but also other support services i.e. shelter, counseling, medical aid, legal assistance, education and vocational training, depending upon the needs of the victims. Under the Scheme, an affected woman shall be entitled to financial assistance and restorative support/services, adding upto a maximum of Rs. 75,000. Assistance under the Scheme shall be available in respect of cases where the FIR is registered on or after the date from which the Scheme comes into effect.
In the meeting presided by the Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal presided also approved to release 5 percent as Pension Allowance to the retirees of the State Government in the age group of 65 to 80 years of age to benefit large number of retirees with additional financial benefits.
It was also decided to constitute ‘Himachal Pradesh Information Technology Education Society’ to regulate the service conditions of the IT Teachers, engaged under outsourced arrangements etc. in various schools in the State with a view to protect their interests.
It was approved to fill up 154 posts of Forest Guards in the Department of Forest Farming and Conservation to protect the valuable forest wealth of the State as also generate employment to educated youth in the State.
It was approved to grant one increment to all employees of Subordinate Courts at the initial rate of their existing pay scales admissible to the respective post with immediate effect as part of the implementation of Shetty Commission recommendations for Subordinate Employees of Judicial Courts in Himachal Pradesh and benefit about 1550 employees in the State.
It was also approved to re-revise pay structures of Junior Engineers under Assured Career Progression Scheme, as per the Punjab Government’s order w.e.f. 1st October, 2012 to benefit 2,500 Junior Engineers in the State. It was approved to absorb 125 DRDA Borne Staff against 61 vacancies available in Rural Development Department as also create additional 64 vacancies to absorb the entire lot.
It was approved to pass necessary orders to equate Ayurvedic Medical Officers appointed/deployed in various health institutions of Health and Family Welfare Department under National Rural Health Mission Fund on co-location basis, with contractual Medical Officers.
It was approved to create and fill up 49 posts of different categories in Himachal Pradesh High Court. Further approved to clear the backlog of wards of Freedom Fighters for recruitment to the posts of Trained Graduate Teachers (Arts) (TGT), and fill up 49 vacancies in different educational institutions in the State. It was approved to create/convert 20 Grade-II posts of Superintendent in HP Secretariate, on regular basis.
It was approved to open new Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) at Dehar in Sundernagar, district Mandi; Sri Naina Devi jee in district Bilaspur; Sunni in district Shimla and Kharahan (Nankhari) in district Shimla from the next academic session, 2013-14 with two trades to start with. It was approved to upgrade Primary Health Centre, Baddi, to Community Health Centre and make the same functional by providing required manpower to the Centre.
It was approved to reduce VAT on Transformers from 13.75 percent to 5 percent under Schedule ‘A’ of Himachal Pradesh Value Added Tax Act, 2005, and encourage supplies through local dealers as the element of entry tax will not be leviable on local sale of transformers.
It was decided to expand ESI Scheme by opening ESI Dispensary in village Tahliwal, district Una, for the benefit of the people of the area and also create six posts of different categories to make the dispensary functional.
It was approved to create one post of Surveyor in HIMUDA, fill up 2 posts of Senior Laboratory Technicians in Zonal Hospital, Dharamshala, upgrade one post of Chief Security Guard to Senior Chief Security Guard in HP Secretariat, absorb three clerks deployed on secondment basis from Agro Industries Department in the Department of Prosecution.
It was decided to regularize services of 11 contractual drivers in Health and Family Welfare Department by granting one time relaxation in Recruitment and Promotion Rules for the category.
It was approved to check illegal and un-scientific mining in the river beds in the entire State by amending the Himachal Pradesh Minor Minerals (Concession) Revised Rules, 1971 and incorporate provision of declaring the offence punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term of upto 2 years or with fine of upto Rs. 25,000, besides confiscating the mining tools used in mining, compounding fee shall also be charged from different categories of vehicles used in carrying mining material.
It was approved to frame Appointment of Chief Electrical Inspector and Electrical Inspector (Qualification, Powers and Functions) Rules, 2012. It was approved to amend the HP Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Rules, 1969, by incorporating the provision of obtaining one time personal/surety bond and one time verification report which shall be valid for three years from the date of its issuance.
It was approved to sanction two new vehicles on replacement basis to HP State Forest Development Corporation and one Bolero to Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), Banjar, district Kullu, for mobility and to monitor more effectively implementation of various schemes within their jurisdiction. It was also decided to purchase one bus for Atal Behari Vajpayee Government College of Engineering, Pragati Nagar, district Shimla for ferrying college students. It was approved to amend Recruitment and Promotion Rules for the posts of Senior Technical Officer (Industrial) and Senior Technical Officer (Mechanical).
