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DA of 1.75 Lakh employees hiked by 11 per cent

Saturday, 25 September 2021 | PNS | Dehradun

Cabinet reduces VAT on ATF, makes Srinagar Municipal Corporation, offers a one time settlement scheme to mining offenders & introduces a five tier system of health centres and hospitals

Giving a pre election gift to about 1.75 lakh employees, the Uttarakhand cabinet in its meeting on Friday approved the proposal to increase the Dearness Allowance (DA) by 11 per cent. The employees would now get a DA of 28 per cent and their salaries would witness an increase of Rs 2000 to Rs 20000 per month. In view of the financial crunch triggered by the pandemic of Covid-19, the Uttarakhand government had put up a freeze on the DA of the employees in April last year. The chief minister Puskhar Singh Dhami had announced during the monsoon session of Uttarakhand assembly that the freeze on the DA would be removed.

Informing about the cabinet decision, the government spokesperson Subodh Uniyal said that the state exchequer would be burned by a sum of Rs 150 Crore  per month and the increased DA would be paid from July 1, 2021.

In another important decision the state cabinet enforced a steep reduction in the VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) from existing 20 per cent to two per cent. Uniyal said that the reduction in VAT is done to incentivise the aviation sector and in an effort to increase use of hangers in the state. The cabinet also approved a proposal to relax norms for setting up filling stations in the mountainous areas.

In another decision taken with an eye on the upcoming assembly elections, the Uttarakhand cabinet decided to upgrade the Municipal council of Srinagar to Municipal Corporation. Uniyal said that a decision is taken to ensure planned development of Srinagar town. In similar decisions the cabinet accorded the status of Nagar Palika to the Gram Panchayat Nagal in Udham Singh Nagar district and Tapowan in Narendra Nagar of Tehri Garhwal to Nagar Panchayat from Gram Panchayat. The Lohaghat in Champawat district was made Nagar Palika.

To fulfil the government of India guidelines the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS), the state cabinet approved to adopt a five tier system of hospitals in Uttarakhand. All the different types of health centres ranging from Primary Health Centres (PHC), Community Health Centres (CHC), Sub centres, district hospitals, TB Hospitals, Base hospitals and others would now be adjusted accordingly in five categories, the Type A PHC, Type B PHC, CHC, Sub District Hospitals and the District Hospitals.

In another important decision the state cabinet extended the one time settlement for regularisation of nursery schools, nursing homes, clinics and others in the urban local bodies to March 2022.

The cabinet also brought an ordinance, the Uttarakhand Nuzul Land management, administration and disposal ordinance 2021.  Now the lease holders of land could get the freehold possession of the Nuzul land in the urban local bodies. In order to bring relief to the offenders involved in illicit trade, mining and storage of mining material, the cabinet approved the plan to bring a ‘one time settlement scheme’ for them.  The state cabinet also decided to remove the ban imposed on sale, construction and development of colonies owned and developed by the Uttarakhand Awas Vikas Parishad.

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