In a bid to provide succour to the tourism, industrial and transport sectors which are hardest hit by the spread of Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown enforced by the Government to contain it, the Uttarakhand Government announced many exemptions and relief measures on Thursday.
The State Cabinet in its meeting presided over by CM Trivendra Singh Rawat approved these measures. Cabinet Minister and Govt spokesman Madan Kaushik said that in the tourism sector, the government has decided to transfer Rs 1,000 each in the bank accounts of about 2.43 lakh workers directly associated with 1,09,818 units. The State Govt would bear the financial burden of Rs 25 crore for the measure.
The State Government has also decided to reimburse the interest incurred on the principal amount for the first trimester (April to June) on the loans taken under Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali tourism self employment scheme and Deen Dayal home stay schemes. Similarly, the annual increase in the bill of water for the hotels, restaurants and other roadside Dhabbas has been pegged at 9 per cent instead of usual 15 percent this year.
The State cabinet decided to provide an exemption of one year for renewal of permits for all types of commercial vehicles. Owners of these vehicles would not have to pay road tax for three months.
A loss of Rs 63.28 crore to the transport department from road tax exemption would be reimbursed by the State Govt. In a decision which would provide relief to the industry, the Sate Govt has decided to extend the period of annual no objection certificate of the pollution control board by one year to the industrial units. In another relief to the industries, the duration of bonus payable to the labourers in the month of March which was to be paid till November 2020 has been extended till March 2021.
The State cabinet also approved the proposal to waive off the surcharge of Rs 34 crore for ten days of March 2020 and Rs 195 crore for the period from April 1 to May 3 of the wine shops.
Due to the lockdown these shops remained closed during this period. In a measure aimed at promoting agriculture, the state cabinet approved the plan to roll out Mukhyamantri Rajya Krishi Vikas Yojana. Under the scheme, the state government would make arrangement for providing gap fund in the centrally sponsored projects. On the recommendation of 15th finance commission (FC), the pattern of dividing the funds in the three tier Panchayati Raj and urban local bodies has been made. Instead of earlier formula of 35:30:35 for Village, Block and Jila Panchayats respectively, these bodies would now receive grants under 75:10:15 scheme.
It means that the village Panchayats would now receive a lion’s share (75 percent) of the total grants.
Similarly on the recommendation of FC, the cantonment boards would now be eligible for 3.54 percent of grants earmarked for the urban local bodies. To give impetus to the process of land consolidation, the state cabinet approved the rules and regulations under the Land Consolidation Act of 2016. The cabinet also approved the constitution of 14 posts for preventing illegal hunting of wild animals.
The proposal to reduce the period of absence from service from 10 years to five years for state government employees was also approved by the cabinet.
This decision was prompted by long absence of many doctors from their service. To recommend changes in the Uttar Pradesh industrial disputes act, 1947, a committee headed by cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat was formed by the state cabinet. Cabinet minister Madan Kaushik is the member of the committee.
