Himachal to set up selection board for Group C posts

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Thursday decided to establish Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog to conduct examinations for the recruitment of Group C posts under the government, public sector undertakings, boards, corporations, local bodies, etc., in place of disbanded Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission Hamirpur.

The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Sukhjinder Sukhu, also approved Mukhyamantri Laghu Dukandar Kalyan Yojna -- 2023 and decided to allocate Rs 40 crore under the scheme.

It will provide better opportunities for availing loans to small entrepreneurs and skill-based workers like cobblers, tailors, barbers, mobile repairing vendors, vegetable and fruit vendors, etc., for their business, an official statement said.

It was decided to bring the Himachal Pradesh Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2023, in the upcoming monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha to address the issue of delayed decisions of revenue court cases and to streamline revenue operations like partitions, corrections, mutations, appeals and demarcations, etc., to facilitate the public.

The Cabinet also decided to roll out the third phase of Himachal Pradesh Sadhbhawana Legacy Cases Resolution Scheme of 2023 from October 1 to December 31 to settle pending assessment cases and arrears which were under litigation or were yet to be assessed under the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

It gave consent to establish a single energy trading desk for coordinating trading strategies and transactions of power in respect of the HPSEBL, the HPPCL and the Directorate of Energy with effect from 2024-25 for optimization of revenues.

It gave its nod to amend Swaran Jayanti Energy Policy of 2021 to manage shortfall of energy during the lean period due to climatic, topographic and other associated reasons.

The new provisions will encourage the installation of rooftop-based solar projects and contribute to power generation.

It decided to increase the honorarium for SMC teachers by Rs 2,000 per month from April 1, which will benefit 2,115 individuals.

Furthermore, it was also decided to enhance the honorarium of part time water carriers working in the Education Department from Rs 3,900 to Rs 4,400 per month from April 1, benefitting 283 people.

The Cabinet decided to fill 1,226 posts of constable in the Police Department which include 877 men and 292 women constables and 57 constable drivers.