Himachal Government on Tuesday decided to discontinue e-pass system to enter the state and allowed all shops to open from 9 am to 8 pm while restaurants would be opened till 10 pm.

Apart from this, social gatherings would be allowed up to 50 percent of the total indoor capacity with maximum 50 persons, whereas maximum 100 persons would be allowed in the outdoor gatherings. These decisions were taken during the cabinet meeting held under Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday to review the COVID-19 situation in the state.

An official spokesman said that it has been decided that inter- state buses including volvos would be started with 50 percent capacity in the state and the e-pass would be discontinued from July 1.

The government offices would start working with hundred percent capacity from July 1. It has also been decided that all the shops would remain open from 9 am to 8 pm while restaurants would be allowed to open till 10 PM, he said.

During its meeting, the cabinet approved the formula for calculation of 12th  class theory marks on the basis of 10 per cent weightage to 10th class, 15 percent weightage to 11th class results and 55 percent weightage to 1st, 2nd terms and pre-board examinations and 5 percent weightage to English subject results and 15 percent weightage to internal assessment.  The results of class 12th would be declared by the third week of July, the spokesman said.

The cabinet also approved a one month vacation in schools from June 26 to July 25 in summer closing areas. Kullu district will have a vacation for 23 days from July 23 to August 14. Besides this, Lahaul-Spiti district will have a one month vacation from July 1 to July 31. Teachers in the winter closing areas would start attending the schools from July 1. However, online studies for students would continue.

The cabinet also directed the Education and Health Departments to plan in such a way that the maximum number of teaching and non-teaching staff of educational institutions is immunized for COVID-19 by the end of this month, the spokesman said.

The government also decided to enhance the stipend of PG students (MD/MS and DNB), Junior Residents, Tutor specialists and DM/M.ch students of the government medical colleges and dental colleges of the state by Rs 5000 per month.

Keeping in view the possibility of third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to fill up 1602 posts of different categories in various health institutions of the state up to June 30 on outsource basis and gave extension to these employees upto September 30.