Power discoms to get Rs750-crore cheap loans

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 25

The Haryana Cabinet today decided to provide Rs 750 crore loans to power distribution companies (discoms) at a concessional rate of interest (about 3 per cent lower than the market rate) under the Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY).

According to UDAY, the state government was required to take over 75 per cent of the debt of Haryana discoms as on September 30, 2015. The total debt as on the said date was estimated at Rs 34,600 crore and the government has already taken over 75 per cent of the debt (Rs 25,950 crore) and issued bonds at an average interest rate of 8.2 per cent per annum.

Nod to entertainment duty

The Cabinet approved the introduction of “The Haryana Municipal Entertainment Duty Bill, 2017” to levy entertainment duty for admission to public entertainment places in the state. Though the duty rates will be finalised later, the municipal bodies will levy the tax under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime instead of the Excise and Taxation Department, which earlier used to tax entertainment under the Punjab Entertainment Duty Act, 1955.

Education

The Cabinet also approved the formulation of Haryana Voluntary State Education Service Rules, 2017 for taking over teaching and non-teaching staff working on sanctioned or aided posts in aided schools.

Rule 6 relating to the responsibility of managements of aided schools and Rule 7 relating to the constitution of committees for redress of grievances have been included in the rules to watch the interests of students and their parents, avoid misuse of land and building by the managements of aided schools and to ensure clearance of the dues of employees prior to their appointment under the rules.

The grant-in-aid would not be payable to aided schools in respect of the posts incumbent of which have been taken over in voluntary education service. However, if any employee does not opt for voluntary education service, the grant-in-aid for him/her would continue to be reimbursed according to the provision in Rule 54 of the Haryana School Education Rules, 2003.

The Cabinet also approved amendments to the Haryana Vishwakarma Skill University Act, 2016 related to the powers and functions of the university to create posts of director, principal, teacher, non-vacation academic staff, non-teaching skilled, administrative and ministerial staff and others required by the university, besides prescribe their qualifications, experience and pay scales and appointment.

Cabinet meeting

• Haryana power utilities to provide employment to 30 land oustees of Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power Plant, Jhajjar. 
• A special provision for providing one-year extension for declaring eligible areas as civic amenities and infrastructure-deficient municipal areas in the state
• Persons heading Zila Sainik Boards and Assistant Secretary of the Rajya Sainik Board will retire at the age of 60 years instead of 58.
• Ex-post facto approval for granting relaxation in the provisions under the Haryana Sports and Physical Fitness Policy-2015.