Himachal Cabinet brings State Public Service Commission under the ambit of Himachal Pradesh Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board or other Specified examinations Act, 1984 – Times of India

SHIMLA: In order to avoid malpractices and to ensure fair and transparent selection of candidates on merit, the Cabinet in its meeting held on Wednesday decided to bring Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission, within the ambit of Himachal Pradesh Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board or other Specified examinations Act, 1984. It decided to bring 90,362 MNREGA Workers, Ekal Nari and persons with more than 40 percent disability, registered Street Vendors and children living in the orphanages under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat –Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojna.
The Cabinet meeting was chaired by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in which a decision was taken to roll out Himachal Pradesh Sadhbhawana Legacy Cases Resolution Scheme, 2023 initially for a period of three months to address the legacy cases. The scheme aims to dispose-off approximately 50,000 cases still pending for assessment under various enactments of the pre-GST era. This scheme would facilitate the small and marginal traders and other taxpayers.
It was decided to fill up nine posts of Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services on regular basis through Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission. Sanction was given to create 45 posts of different categories for Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centres in all 11 Civil and Sessions Divisions in Himachal Pradesh as well in Nalagarh, Sarkaghat, Sundernagar and Ghumarwin Subdivisions.
Decision was taken to fill up three posts of Assistant Professors, one in each department including General Medicine, Pathology and Radiotherapy in Dr Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur. Nod was given to fill up 10 posts of Civil Judges through direct recruitment. It was also decided to fill up 15 posts of Ayurvedic Pharmacy Officers batch-wise in the Ayush department on contract basis.
The Cabinet decided to constitute Cabinet Sub-Committee comprising of Industries Minister, Harshwardhan Chauhan, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, Anirudh Singh and PWD Minister, Vikramaditya Singh to decide and dispose-off all the matters of felling, removal and lopping of trees in territorial jurisdiction of Municipal Corporations of the State.
It decided to restructure the financial assistance extended to Himachal Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (HPPTCL) under Himachal Pradesh Clean Energy Transmission Investment Programme. This will help HPPTCL in improvement of financial status and will assist in easy execution of existing and upcoming projects by availing financial assistance from domestic financial institutions
The Cabinet also took a decision to merge Himachal Pradesh Agro Industries Corporation Limited with Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Producing and Marketing Corporation. It was decided to dedicate Centre for Science, Learning and Creativity at village Bhog, Anandpur (Shoghi) in Shimla to provide a forum to children to pursue their natural curiosity and to quench their thirst for creativity. It would also support mass dissemination of hands-on science education and lead innovation in learning.
Nod was given to rename the Department of Environment, Science and Technology as the Department of Environment Technology and Climate Change. Approval was given to the Draft Development Plan for Shree Chamunda Nandikeshwar Dham Special Area in Kangra district.
It also renewed the lease of land in favour of Mata Shyamakali Mandir Management Committee, Galma in district Mandi for a period of 40 years at the rate of Rs 55,276 per annum. The Cabinet accorded sanction for signing a MoU with the new centrally sponsored scheme of PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) in the Centre-State ratio of 90:10.