Many decisions taken in first meeting of Dhami cabinet after Lok Sabha elections
Sunday, 23 June 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
In view of the consistently rising traffic load on the roads of the cities, the Uttarakhand government has decided to put into place Uttarakhand Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UUMTA) in the State.
The State cabinet approved the draft of the proposed UUMTA bill -2024 in its meeting held at the State secretariat on Saturday. The draft of the bill has been prepared on the basis of the directives of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the metropolitan transport authority of Kerala. Informing about the cabinet decisions, secretary Shailesh Bagauli said that the authority will help in regulating operation, development, maintenance and monitoring of the urban transport in the State. For construction of roads and other developmental activities the approval of authority will be mandatory.
The meeting of the State cabinet was held for the first time after the recent Lok Sabha elections and was chaired by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
In another important decision, the cabinet approved the proposal to reorganise the structure of the power and alternative energy department. A proposal to increase the number of posts from existing 65 to 123 in the electricity safety wing of the department was given to the cabinet but considering the importance of the issue, the cabinet gave its approval to create 80 more posts in the department. The tragic death of many people in the electrocution incident on July 20, 2023 in Chamoli has highlighted the importance of electrical security and safety in the State.
The cabinet also approved the proposal of the medical health and education department to create 13 new posts in the proposed food testing laboratory in Dehradun. At present the State has only one testing laboratory which is in Rudrapur. The cabinet also approved the proposal to start food safety on wheels (mobile vans) of the department. Eight employees on outsource will be appointed in these mobile labs. Bagauli said that the decision to create new posts and set up new testing laboratories will help in strengthening the food safety ecosystem in the State.
In another important decision, the cabinet also approved the proposal to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the cooperative committees.
In another decision which will benefit the employees of the State government, the cabinet approved the proposal to provide facilities of corporate salary accounts to the employees. In the first phase the employees having salary accounts in State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India and Canara Bank will get the benefit under which accidental insurance cover of Rs 40 lakh to one crore, insurance cover of Rs six lakh and others will be given without charging premium. The employees having salary accounts in other banks can shift their accounts in the above mentioned four banks.
In another decision the cabinet approved the proposal to amend the Tourism policy- 2018.
Bagauli said that under the policy there was a proposal for SGST reimbursement up to 100 per cent of capital subsidy up to five years under the A, B and B+ category industries. However the policy made no mention of the SGST reimbursement after five years. The department has now decided to give 90 per cent reimbursement for next five years and 75 per cent for another five years.
The cabinet also approved the proposal to increase the retirement age of specialist doctors from 62 years to 65 years.
The approval to the rehabilitation plan for the affected families of Mahasu Devta master plan in Hanol, Dehradun was also given by the cabinet in its meeting.
