Himachal Pradesh Cabinet in its Meeting decided to release revised House Rent Allowance, double to the allowance employees of the State Government are getting presently, from March 1, 2012. This will put an additional financial burden on the State exchequer to the tune of Rs. 100 crore. The decision has been taken to honour the announcement made by the Chief Minister to the employees of the State in the Joint Consultative Committee Meeting held on January 31, 2012 at Shimla.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal presided over the Meeting. It was approved to implement Shetty Commission recommendations for Subordinate Employees of Judicial Court in the State regarding grant of allowances.

It was decided to fill up 100 posts of Junior Engineers (Civil) through HP Subordinate Services Selection Board in Irrigation and Public Health Department; 12 vacant posts of Junior Stenographers through direct recruitment in HP Secretariat; 9 posts of Steno-Typists in Excise and Taxation Department; 12 posts each of Dental Mechanics and Dental Hygienists under National Rural Health Mission.

Cabinet also gave nod to create new Tax Revenue District at Nurpur and 3 new circles at Paonta-II, Jawali and Sundernagar and 47 new posts of different categories to manage the same. It was decided to fill up 6 posts of Block Development Officer (Class-I Gazetted) through direct recruitment and approved amendment in their Recruitment and Promotion Rules.

It was decided to reconstitute the Committee for granting permits under Mukhya Mantri Grameen Parivahan Yojna under the Chairmanship of respective Regional Transport Officer with concerned Regional Manager, HRTC and a representative of the Deputy Commissioner Office as Members.

It was decided to auction Toll Barriers for next financial year in different entry points of the State by the Committee empowered for the purpose and also set up one more Toll Barrier at Shela Ghora of Bassi – Shri Naina Deviji Road in district Bilaspur after observing all required codal formalities.

It was decided to finalize procedure to be adopted for sale of the power made available to the Government of Himachal Pradesh by Bhakra Beas Management Board HEPs for next one year whereby an additional revenue of about Rs. 72 crore is anticipated to the State exchequer.

It was approved to reduce VAT from 13.75 percent to 5 percent on fuel cakes Biomass Briquettes made from solid waste procured from any Local Self Government or from any person, under Himachal Pradesh Value Added Tax Act, 2005.

It adopted Policy with regard to setting up of Micro Hydel Projects upto 100 KV capacity in Himachal Pradesh and to consider applications only if the generation is for captive or direct third party sale locally.

It was decided to set up a 2 X 250 MW (500 MW) instead of (1 X 660 MW) Thermal Power Plant on BOOT basis at Raniganj, West Bengal for execution under Joint Venture by HPCL with M/S Eastern Minerals and Trading Agency (EMTA).

It was decided to accept the compliance report of Gopi Bai Foundation Trust, Kota (Rajasthan) and Vocational Education Foundation, New Delhi to prepare Career Point University (Establishment and Regulation ) Bill, 2012. It was approved to amend the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions (Regulatory Commission) Rules, 2012.