Himachal Cabinet gives nod to NTT policy, to double subsidy on Edible Oil

Shimla: Ahead of the Assembly elections, the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, in a significant move gave a nod to the Nursery Trained Teacher (NTT) policy on Thursday, where the tutors will be paid a sum of Rs. 9000 per month.

In a communique by the state government, the decision has been taken for special attention and priority to districts and locations that are particularly socio-economically disadvantaged. "The State Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur gave its consent to Himachal Pradesh Early Childhood Care and Education Tutor Scheme-2022 for the children in the age group of 3 to 6 years in Government Primary School under the National Education Policy," the official communication also added.

The scheme envisages appropriate care and stimulation of the brain in the early years to ensure healthy brain development and growth. The Education Department will frame R&P rules for their recruitment and the department shall engage the tutors by outsourcing through HPSEDC, the state Cabinet directed. "For those candidates who have done a one-year diploma in Nursery Teacher Education or Pre School Education or Early Childhood Education Programme, for these candidates, the department would pursue framing of bridge courses as per norms to make them eligible," the Cabinet decision highlighted.

The state Cabinet further gave its nod to double the subsidy on edible oil (Fortified Mustard Oil and Fortified Soya Refined Oil) from Rs. 5 to Rs. 10 for OTNFSA beneficiaries and from Rs. 10 to Rs. 20 per litre for NFSA beneficiaries for seven months with effect from September 2022 to March 2023 to facilitate the consumers. It decided to engage 499 para cooks and 563 para helpers in the Forest Department for proper maintenance and catering of 499 forest rest houses and inspection huts throughout the state. The state Cabinet gave its approval to the World Bank funded Programme 'Himachal Power Sector Development Programme' with a total cost of about Rs. 2000 crore for timely monitoring, implementation and verification of the proposed PMU establishment in the Directorate of Energy along with structure and functioning. It has also been decided to regularize the services of water carriers working in the Education Department, who have put in 11 years of services (as a part-time water carrier and daily wager) as of 31st March 2022 and 30th September 2022.

The state Cabinet led by the chief minister Jai Ram Thakur also decided to create three posts of doctors, two posts of paramedical staff and six posts of nurses in 50 bedded Civil Hospital Dharampur in Solan district. It also decided to open a new Ayurvedic Health Centre at Taurkhola in the Dharampur Vidhan Sabha area of Mandi district along with requisite posts.

The Cabinet gave its nod to open a new Ayurvedic Health Centre at Sakoh in GP Tihra and Paplog in the Dharampur area of Mandi district along with the creation and filling up of six posts of different categories.

The state Cabinet further decided to open Agriculture Sale Centre in GP Bara in Development Block Gohar in Mandi district. It gave its nod to opening new Sub Tehsils in various districts, including Solan, Hamirpur and others and filling up new posts of different categories.

It approved the upgradation of Civil Hospital Gohar in Mandi district from 50 bedded to 100 bedded Hospital along with the creation and filling up of requisite posts.

In other major decisions, the state Cabinet also decided to upgrade Primary Health Centre Chowk in Mandi district to Community Health Centre. It decided to open a new Health Sub Centre at Chhatar in GP Chhatar in Sundernagar Vidhan Sabha area of Mandi district.