OBC students to get free IAS coaching

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 18

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh here today announced free coaching for aspirants of civil services exams from the OBC category. The coaching will be given at Shimla through Himachal Pradesh University. The students will also be provided the hostel facility.

He made this announcement while addressing a state-level meeting of the OBC Welfare Board here.

He directed the departments concerned to form policies in this regard. He said suggestions were important in preparing new policies and programmes. Such discussions helped making the government aware of their needs.

Earlier, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dhani Ram Shandil said many schemes were being executed for the uplift of the community. He said grants were being extended to homeless people for the construction of houses. A finance and development corporation was formed for making the people self-dependent. A lot of scholarship schemes were being executed to help the students to make them self-reliant.

Shandil said in the current financial year, a target was set to provide training to 1,031 candidates through skill development in computer and other programmes and help them getting certificates of various diploma courses.

Chief Secretary VC Pharka presented a vote of thanks.

Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Anuradha Thakur conducted the meeting.

Issues like construction of roads from Ghandal Chhatera to Tool and GSSS, Shakrah, link road to Bhutua village, funds under CSR from power projects to build Darini Shahpur road, non-functional machines of health institutes at various places, incomplete building of the Health Department were discussed. Besides, filling of various posts, creation of wards in gram panchayats, soil conservation, protection of agriculture land, repair and construction of pucca paths, inquiry of diversion of funds and raising the quota from existing 18 to 27 per cent were taken up in the meeting. IPH Minister Vidya Stokes, CPSes Neeraj Bharati and Jagjivan Pal, Additional Chief Secretaies Tarun Shridhar, Shri Kant Baldi and RD Dhiman and former MLA Surendra Kaku were among those present.

Govt to appoint 50 junior assistants

Dharamsala: The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to fill 50 posts of Junior Office Assistant (IT) in the Department of Treasuries Accounts and Lotteries and five posts of Welfare Organiser in the Sainik Welfare Department on a contract basis. The decision was taken a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at Dharamsala. The Cabinet also decided to fill the post of Deputy Director (Technical) in the Department of Ayurveda by giving relaxation in the Recruitment and Promotion Rules and gave its approval to frame Recruitment and Promotion Rules for the post of District Public Relations Officers, also known as Information Officers (Class-I Gazetted), and repeal the existing rules.

It also decided to shift Division Number-1 of the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department located at Kullu to Banjar in Kullu district and open a sub-treasury office at Mamleeg in Solan district. It was decided to rationalise tax up to 25 per cent instead of 50 per cent under CGCR rates for the industries which are paying tax on transportation of raw material and finished products. — TNS