The state cabinet took various decisions in its meeting held on Wednesday. Due to the Vidhan Sabha called in session on June 24-25 no official briefing was held for the media. According to sources, the cabinet took decisions on seven points in its meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting began with the cabinet ministers observing two minutes of silence in tribute to their deceased cabinet colleague Prakash Pant. The cabinet decided to name the double lane road from Dehradun airport to Bhuiawala after Prakash Pant. In the meeting, the cabinet approved an amendment in the excise policy so that the licensed liquor shops not taken up through e-auction yet can be allotted through lottery system. The licensed liquor shops were being allotted through e-auction for two years now as per the excise policy. Out of the total 619 licensed liquor shops, 234 could not be allotted through e-auction. The government was earlier unable to start fresh allotment procedure due to the model code of conduct in place for the Lok Sabha elections. With the third month of the current financial year about to end, it was decided that the remaining shops will be allotted through lottery system after deducting 35 per cent revenue for three months.
The cabinet also decided that the seventh pay commission arrears amounting to Rs 67.52 crore of the teachers in state universities, government and aided degree colleges will be cleared.
The cabinet also approved amendment in rules for granting jobs on compassionate grounds in state government services to dependents of Uttarakhand domicile martyrs of the army and paramilitary to also enable such jobs on compassionate grounds to dependents of martyrs from the coast guard and special frontier force. Amendment was also approved by the cabinet to enable the chief minister to nominate four members in the print media advertisement committee.