Shimla: In a meeting led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet has approved the elevation of three municipal councils to municipal corporations and two Nagar Panchayats to municipal councils. It also plans to establish six new Nagar Panchayats and expand the jurisdiction of various urban local bodies.
The Cabinet approved an increase in the honorarium for Multi-Task Workers in the Public Works Department from Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,000 per month. Additionally, it intends to include all individuals over 70 years in the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, along with providing an extra top-up cover of Rs 5 lakh per year to those already registered under the plan.
The Cabinet also sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh for building homes for widows, single destitute women, and differently-abled women with an annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh, registered under the Himachal Pradesh Building and Other Construction Welfare Board. Furthermore, the Mukhyamantri Sukh-Ashray Yojana will be extended to abandoned and surrendered children up to 27 years of age.
The Cabinet approved the implementation of the Rajiv Gandhi Swarojgaar Start-Up Yojana 2023, which assures e-taxi owners working with government departments a minimum rent of Rs 50,000. It also decided to create 30 senior resident doctor positions and 326 ancillary staff roles at Radhakrishnan Government Medical College in Hamirpur, as well as to establish a new police post there, involving the filling of seven posts in various categories.
Additionally, the Cabinet agreed to fill 28 different category job positions in the Fisheries Department and 25 Assistant State Taxes and Excise Officer positions in the Excise and Taxation Department. It approved a letter of intent for the Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation to establish a winery in Parala, Shimla district, which aims to benefit local apple growers with better pricing and employment opportunities. Finally, the Cabinet decided to relocate the Himachal Pradesh Building and Other Construction Welfare Board’s office from Shimla to Hamirpur to help alleviate city congestion.