Himachal Pradesh cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh approved the draft of Himachal Pradesh Lease Rules, 2013. It will be notified in the official gazette for inviting objections and suggestions of general public.
As per the draft policy, government land will be provided on lease basis only when no alternate private land was available. Provision has been made to lease out the government land for self-employment to Ex-servicemen, War Widows and BPL families. It has also been proposed to lease out government land for construction of residential house by landless Himachalis or for the rehabilitation for sufferers of natural calamities.
It has been proposed that the encroached government land will not be leased to the encroacher but it could be leased out to any eligible person or institutions after ejecting the encroacher. The maximum area required for a specific purpose will be certified by the department concerned under which the activity for which lease of government land is sought, falls. Such maximum area will be subject to provisions of H.P Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972.
Each department will have to fix their norms to ascertain the eligibility of lessee to undertake the proposed activity, the necessity of activity and the extent of area required for the purpose. Before granting government land on lease basis, no objections of estate right holders will be obtained and the state government will have the power to grant lease for a period as it deems fit.
Under the policy, it has been proposed to calculate the lease amount per annum @ 10 percent of the current circle rates notified by the Collector of the district. However, in case of hydro-electric projects which are exclusively reserved for bonafide Himachalies, lease money will be charged @ 5 percent. Further, it has been proposed that after every five years, lease amount will be increased by 5 percent of the existing lease amount.
The State government will have the powers to reduce the lease amount in the cases of persons affected by natural calamities and have lost their agricultural land and dwelling, landless/houseless persons, Ex-service man, war widow, B.P.L families and differentially abled persons. Instead of earlier provisions to sub lease, it has been proposed that the lessee may get into agreement to manage, operate and maintain the leased property. There will be restriction on lessee to utilize the land within a period of three years countable from the date of registration of lease deed.
The cabinet decided to upgrade Sub-Tehsil Kotli in Mandi district to Tehsil. An announcement to this respect was made by the Chief Minister during the State Level Independence Day function. It also gave approval to open Tehsil at Ner Chowk in Mandi district which will have Three Kanungo Circles at Balh, Pairi and Rewalsar and 27 Patwar Circles benefiting 104420 people.
Cabinet gave its nod to enhance the honorarium of freedom fighters from Rs. 7500 to Rs. 10,000 per month from 1st September, 2013 onwards. An announcement in this regard was made by the Chief Minister during Independence Day Function.
It decided to upgrade Sunni Police Post in Shimla district to a full-fledged Police Station and the required posts will be transferred from Battalions.
Cabinet approved that all contract/regular teachers who have replaced PTA provided teachers at initial or at subsequent stage shall be posted against vacant posts available in condonation of short stay enabling joining of PTA provided teachers.
It was decided to amend the educational qualification for recruitment of Anganwari helpers. Now, the educational qualification will be Primary instead of Middle level in case of non-availability of applicant with Middle in feeder area.
The cabinet decided that Himachal Pradesh Industrial Development Bank (HPIDB) will make equity contribution of Rs. 350 crore in H.P Power Corporation Limited for Shongtong-Karcham (450 MW), Sainj (100 MW), Sawara Kuddu (111 MW) and Kashang (234 MW) hydro electric projects during the year 2013-14. It was also decided the equity contribution of State government till 2012-13 to the extent of Rs. 350 crore will be disinvested by the Himachal government from H.P Power Corporation Ltd. in favour of HPIDB and the same will be substituted by HPIDB investment as equity contribution to provide fiscal space for the State.
Approval was accorded for grant of special extension for a period of 10 months by levying an extension fee @ Rs. 20,000 per MW per month in favour of developer M/S Venture Energies Technologies Ltd for obtaining clearances and start construction work of Sai Kothi (15 MW) HEP.
The Cabinet also approved to grant ex-post facto extension for a period of five months with an extension fee @ Rs. 20,000 per MW per month to Seltu Masarang (24 MW) HEP. It gave approval to initiate action for damages/penalty against M/S Brakel Corporation NV in the implementation of Jangi-Thopan-Powari (960MW) Hydro Project.
Cabinet decided to cancel the construction of Palchan-Rohtang ropeway project in Kullu district.
It decided to assign the subject of coffee cultivation and development to Agriculture department.
It was decided to include LPG connection number, electricity connection number and employment exchange registration number in Biometric Enrolment Form of National Population Register (NPR).
Cabinet decided to transfer the subject relating to creation/up-gradation of Sub-Tehsils and Tehsils from GAD to Revenue department.
It decided to upgrade 5 posts of Superintendent Grade-II in the pay scale of Rs. 10300-34800+4200 grade pay in Forest department.
It was decided to give one time exemption to fill up vacant posts of Class-III in the office of Advocate General, H.P out of the purview of H.P Subordinate Services Selection Board in order to avoid unnecessary delay.
Cabinet also granted approval for creation of 6 posts for the Litigation Cell at New Delhi.
It also granted approval to purchase a Multimedia Van for the department of Information & Public Relations for publicity purpose in every nook and corner of the State.
Approval was given to filling up of 20 posts of Assistant District Attorneys on contract basis through direct recruitment, in the department of Prosecution.
Permission was accorded to fill 12 posts of clerks on contract basis through H.P Subordinate Services Selection Board, Hamirpur in Labour and Employment department.
It decided to fill up three vacant posts of clerks on contract basis in Atal Bihari Vajpayee Mountaineering and Allied Sports Institute, Manali.
Cabinet approved conversion of 19 posts of Junior contract Coaches, Class-III in the pay scale of 10300-34800+3600 (grade pay) and two posts each of cook and helper (of the cook), ground man and watch man, Class-IV in the pay scale of 4900-10680+1300 (grader pay) on regular posts in Youth Services and Sports department.
The approval was granted to create two posts of clerks and two posts of peon for Sub-Divisional Election Offices of Bangana in Una district and Sangrah in Sirmaur district.
