The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet in its meeting held here today decided to adopt the "Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna" to provide insurance cover of Rs. 30,000 per family to 2,82,316 BPL families in the unorganized sector on an annual premium of Rs. 750 out of which the beneficiary family will be contributing Rs. 30 per annum only.Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, presided over the meeting.
It decided to increase the reservation to women in Panchayats at every level from existing one-third to fifty percent of the total number of seats in the Panchayats with a view to increase their participation at the grassroot level institutions. In addition to this it has also been decided to empower the Panchayat Sahayaks to operate Panchayat fund as joint signatory with Pradhans of respective gram panchayat.
It decided to scale up the formula based allocation of funds to the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan from the existing 11 percent of the aggregate plan size to 25 percent which will commensurate the proportion of Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan size for the coming financial year, 2008-09, thereby enhancing the allocation under the Plan by 157 percent and earmarking Rs. 594 crore over the previous year provisions of Rs. 231 crore.
It decided to develop a Transport Nagar at Beri in district Bilaspur to facilitate the transporters of the area avail of repair and maintenance facilities as also to decongest the main national highway.
It approved amendment in the Himachal Pradesh State Commission for Women Act, 1996, ,enabling the Chairperson and Members of the Commission to hold office during the pleasure of the State Government for a term not exceeding three years from the date they assume office.
It further approved the uniform pay scale to the Law Officers of all categories in Himachal Pradesh Secretariate.
The Cabinet approved relaxation of Recruitment and Promotion Rules for regularization of Daily Waged workers and Mining Officers in the Industries Department. It also approved amendment in the recruitment and Promotion Rules of the Principal (B-Pharmacy) in the B. Pharmacy College.
It approved upgradation of 8 police posts to Police Stations, 3 Police Stations under Police Supply to other departments to upgrade the law and order maintenance infrastructure in the state.
It also decided to open one sub-division of HPPWD at Baddi with three sections at Baddi, Barotiwala and Manpura in district Solan.
It granted approval to deploy surplus staff of 15 persons of HP PWD against the vacant posts in the Information and Public Relations Department. It sanctioned 6 Maruti SX4 ZXI Euro-II cars in replacement for the Hon’ble Judges of Himachal Pradesh High Court; one Maruti Van to Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chamba, on replacement basis; 33 light motor vehicles of different specifications and 69 motor cycles to the State Police under Police Modernization Programme; 3 new vehicles for IGMC, Shimla; one vehicle for the department of Information Technology.