10 percent quota for EWS (economically weaker sections in jobs approved and other matters discussed in recent cabinet meeting

1. The state Cabinet decided in principle to provide 10 per cent reservation to economically weaker sections in Class-I, II, III and IV posts of the state government. However, as for now no final decision was taken on the economic criteria and other eligibility conditions.

2. The Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur discussed in length the regularisation of over 5,000 left out Parent-Teacher Association teachers but deferred the matter.

3. The Cabinet also decided to implement the compensation scheme for women victims, survivors of sexual assault and other crimes to provide compensation to the women who had suffered loss or injury, as the case may be, as a result of the offence committed and required rehabilitation.

Under the scheme, an amount of compensation will be provided to the victims under the Women Victims Compensation Fund as decided by the State Legal Services Authority or District Legal Authority. The amount of compensation to the affected women will range between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 10 lakh keeping in view the gravity of crime.

4. The Cabinet decided to create a new division and subdivision of Irrigation and Public Health Department at Chontra in Mandi district along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts. It also gave its approval to open one new subdivision and one new section of the Irrigation and Public Health Department at Shaat in Kullu district along with creation and filling up of requisite posts.

5. The Cabinet gave its nod to extend the validity period of the letter of intent (LOI) and licenses BWH-2 and D-2A for setting up of a distillery at Bhangla village in Nalagarh tehsil of Solan district in favour of M/s Kala Amb Distillery and Brewery Pvt Ltd.

6. The Cabinet gave its nod to constitute the State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management Authority and creation of a special fund for compensatory afforestation on degraded forest land, non-forest land and net present value (NPV) of the diverted forest land.

7. The authority will have a governing body, headed by the Chief Minister and a steering committee, headed by the Chief Secretary and executive committee to be chaired by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests as Chairperson ex officio.

8. The Cabinet also approved upgrading of health and education institutions.