Shimla, June 12
Succumbing to the pressure of agitating residents of the newly merged areas of Dhalli, Kasumpti and Tutu, the state Cabinet today ordered that these areas would not fall under the jurisdiction of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC), instead separate nagar panchayats would be set up.
The Cabinet, which met here under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Prof P.K. Dhumal, sanctioned the creation of 37 posts, including those of safai karamcharis, for each of the nagar panchayats which would entail an expenditure of about Rs 15 lakh each.
These areas were merged with the SMC about four years ago during the Congress regime and the residents were complaining that they had to come to offices in the town for every small work. Moreover, they were upset over the decision of the government to regularise all illegal constructions in the urban areas after paying a fixed amount.
With this decision of the Cabinet, the number of wards in the SMC will get reduced to 21 from the existing 25.
An official spokesman said keeping in view the interests of fruit growers, implications of the WTO agreement and the prevailing drought situation, the Cabinet decided to provide assistance to horticulturists by continuing the subsidy on cartons and transport subsidy on import of wooden packing cases and wood from the adjoining states.
Subsidy at the rate of Rs 10 per carton would be given for telescopic apple and kinnow cartons and at the rate of Rs 5 per carton for the 10 kg. Kulu apple, pear, peach and mango cartons manufactured by the government-owned Agro Industrial Packaging India Ltd (AIPIL). The subsidy on cartons manufactured by private corrugators would be at the rate of Rs 8 and Rs 4 per carton, respectively.
Subsidy on strawberry, plum and almond cartons manufactured by AIPIL and private corrugators would be Rs 3, Rs 1.5 and Rs 1 per carton, respectively.
The maximum limit of subsidy on packing of fruits would be Rs 12,000 per orchardist which would be made available after fulfilling the formalities. The subsidy would be made available from the nearest sale depots of AIPH, HPMC, Himfed and HP Agro Industries Corporation.
The spokesman said it had been decided to give transport subsidy on the import of eucalyptus and poplar wood fruit packing material from the neighbouring states so that horticulture societies, saw mill owners and other agencies could import these. A subsidy at the rate of Rs 10 per quintal wood or Rs 1 per standard box with the maximum subsidy of Rs 1,000 per truck would be available for Shimla. Mandi, Kulu, Chamba, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. These rates were Rs 5 per quintal on wood and 50 paise per standard box with maximum subsidy limit of Rs 500 per truck for Solan, Sirmour, Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur and Kangra districts.
The Cabinet decided that in the urban areas water consumers would be free to install their own meters. If they wanted the meters to be installed by the department, they would have to deposit the prescribed charges. The Cabinet also decided to upgrade 130 posts of clerk and junior assistant in the PWD and 92 posts in the IPH department to senior assistant.
