Cabinet meet: Eye on poll, govt opens purse strings

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4

With an eye on elections, the Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here today opened its purse strings, offering concessions and extended benefits to several sections of society and employees.

The Cabinet enhanced the honorarium of Special Police Officers (SPOs) from Rs14,000 per month to Rs18,000. At present, 5,500 SPOs are working in the state police. The decision to enhance their honorarium will entail an extra financial implication of Rs21.6 crore annually on the state exchequer.

The Cabinet also gave its nod to engage 4,500 more SPOs, who will be drawn from retired personnel of the Army and Central Armed Police Force.

The Council of Ministers approved a proposal for changing the status of 1,000 SPOs engaged for night duty in the Police Commissionerate, Gurugram, to general duty for bringing uniformity among all SPOs.

The honorarium of headmen (lamberdars) has been enhanced from Rs1,500 to Rs3,000 per month. The Cabinet decided to provide them with mobile phones.

For patwaris of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, the inter-district transfer policy (cadre change policy) got the Cabinet’s nod. At present, patwaris are governed by the Haryana Revenue Patwaris (Group C) Service Rules, 2011.

The major feature of the policy provides for order of preference, principles governing the seniority, grievance redressal mechanism and relaxation of any of the provisions of the policy in case of hardships. The order of preference will be mutual transfer of patwaris in the same category or the cadre.

Only one opportunity will be granted for an inter-district transfer in case of any grievance with regard to the change of district. An employee will have the right to submit his or her grievance on the online portal within 15 days of issuance of such order.

The policy for the allotment of government land for social, religious, charitable and community purposes to trusts and private institutions has been approved.

The tentative rate of sale in case of an area up to 2,000 sq m will be 50 per cent of the collector rate, proportionate cost of development of the area and other incidental charges thereto. For an area between 2,000 and 3,000 sq m, 100 per cent collector rate will be charged.

The approval was given to reduce the stamp duty in case of transfer of land of charitable, religious or socio-cultural educational institutes or companies to another charitable society, trust or companies so as to avoid closing down the educational institutions due to financial crisis.

Besides, full exemption has been granted in stamp duty on gift deeds in favour of gaushalas run by registered trusts, societies and not-for-profit companies.

Major decisions 

• Honorarium of Special Police Officers enhanced from Rs 14,000 per month to Rs 18,000
• In all, 4,500 more SPOs to be engaged; they will be ex-servicemen from Army and Central Armed Police Force
• Honorarium of headmen (lamberdars) enhanced from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 per month; they will get mobile phones 
• For patwaris of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, the inter-district transfer policy approved

Nod to pharma policy 

The Cabinet approved the Haryana Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Policy to create and the Haryana Pharmaceutical Policy, aimed at attracting Rs 2,000 crore investment in the pharmaceutical sector and generating 25,000 jobs.