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Haryana clears policy for giving govt land to religious institutions
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 17
The Haryana Cabinet on Sunday approved the policy for allotment of government land to various trusts for construction of places of worship or community centres. The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, also okayed an amendment for granting licences to set up low-density eco-friendly colonies and authorised the Chief Minister to provide tax relief under the Haryana Value Added Tax Act-2003 to the textile industry.

The Cabinet put its stamp on the government’s decision to give an option of extension of service to the employees till the age of 60 depending on their fitness while the Class-IV employees will serve till the age of 62 years. The date of superannuation will remain unchanged.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Hooda said the VAT relief would be applicable to sarees, shawls, unstitched ladies suits, bed sheets with pillow covers of the value not exceeding Rs 500 and textile mats of value not exceeding Rs 50 per piece.

As per the policy for allotment of government land to religious institutions, the Chief Minister said: “The government would consider allotment of land only at places where the government land is available and can be spared for the purpose. This policy does not in any manner create a right for anyone to demand allotment of land for the said purposes,” he said.

On low-density, eco-friendly colonies, he said: “Currently, the minimum area requirement for establishment of such a colony is 100 acres. No additional licences in continuation of a license already granted for such colonies would be allowed unless the applicant has chunk of at least 25 acres for which additional license application can be submitted.”

The Cabinet approved a proposal to bring an ordinance for inserting “Amnesty Scheme” in the Haryana Value Added Tax Act to facilitate recovery of old arrears of taxes and to provide relief to all types of dealers from payment of penalties and interest. Tax arrears including interest and penalty amounting to Rs 5,560.43 crore are outstanding in the state as on June 30, 2014. Amending its existing policy for providing compassionate appointment in feeder cadre in Class-III and IV posts to a dependent of martyr of armed forces personnel or paramilitary forces personnel, the Cabinet said the dependent of martyrs who lost their life prior to January 1, 2014 would be covered under the policy.

It was decided to provide government job in group C and D posts in the police department to 17 dependents of martyrs who were killed in action.

The Cabinet also approved that the computer faculty engaged through service providers would continue to be paid directly by the Department of School Education. The Cabinet extended the last date for qualifying the HTET and BEd exams (in respect of PGTs) from April 1, 2015 to January 1, 2018.

In another decision, the Cabinet decided that the Commonwealth Games medal winners who have not applied for jobs, will be given a job.

Cabinet decisions

The Chief Minister gets authority to give tax relief under the Haryana VAT Act-2003 to textile products. VAT relief to be applicable to sarees, shawls, unstitched women’s suits, bed sheets with pillow covers

To recover old arrears of taxes, a proposal to bring an ordinance for inserting “Amnesty Scheme” in the Haryana Value Added Tax Act okayed

State government employees will get an option to serve till the age of 60 years "provided they are fit to continue in service". Similarly, the Class-IV employees will serve till the age of 62 years