Himachal cabinet nod to Rs 4,500 cr package for disaster-affected families

Shimla: The state cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to a Rs 4,500 crore special relief package for the rain and landslide-affected families.

The package was announced by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on September 30.

This special package has been granted for the period June 24-September 30 when the state was ravaged by rain and landslides.

The compensation for a completely damaged house has been increased from Rs 1.30 lakh to 7 lakh while compensation for partially damaged house has been increased from Rs 6,500 to Rs 1 lakh.

The Cabinet in its meeting held here under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister also decided to provide two biswas of land in urban areas and three biswas of land in rural areas to people rendered homeless.

Biswa is a unit of land measurement with 1 biswa equalling 1,350 square feet.

Decision to promote "amateur" and community radios for alternate communication during emergency in all districts was also taken to provide effective information exchange between information sources, emergency managers and those impacted by disaster or emergent situations, a statement issued here said.

The Cabinet also decided to amend the Shimla Development Plan and to permit residential constructions in green belt above the Navbahar-Ram Chandra Chowk-Machhliwali Kothi-Christ Church-Lakkar Bazaar-IGMC-Sanjauli Chowk–Navbhar circuit, provided there is no tree on the plot.

It also decided to amend the HP Town and Country Planning Rules to allow construction at a distance of 5 metres from a nallah and 7 metres from khad.

Heavy rain triggered landslides and flash floods in Himachal in the months of July and August causing massive damage to civic infrastructure and taking several lives.

Absence of proper drainage system, construction over drains, and unstable slopes were among the reasons behind the landslides, experts have said.

The cabinet on Wednesday approved the 'Van Mitra' Scheme of the Forest Department under which one 'Van Mitra' each engaged with 2,061 forest beats to strengthen the participation of local communities in protection, conservation and development of forest.

It also gave the nod to fill up 100 vacant posts of Forest Guards on contractual basis, the statement added.

The cabinet gave its approval for declaring Traffic Inspectors, Motor Vehicles Inspectors, Senior Motor Vehicle Inspectors of the Transport department and Assistant Sub Inspector and Head Constable of the Police Department as designated authority to compound offences under various Sections of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.

Approval in principle to establish a passenger ropeway system from Chintpurni Baba Mai Dass Bhawan Parking to Chintpurni Temple in public private partnership mode in district Una at a cost of Rs 76.50 crore was also given.

It decided to enhance the honorarium of jal rakshaks, multi-purpose workers, para fitters, and para pump operators of Jal Shakti department by Rs 500 per month raising it to Rs 5,000, Rs 4,400, Rs 6,000, and Rs 6,000 respectively.