Construction of buildings on valley side in Shimla MC area to be restricted

The state government today approved amendments to the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Rules, 2014, to restrict the construction of buildings on the valley side of the Shimla Municipal Corporation area.

As per the new provision, such constructions must be at least one metre below the road level, so as to preserve the valley’s aesthetic appeal for visitors. It also decided to bring the adjoining forest areas of Mata Tara Devi Temple in Shimla district under the green area of the Shimla Development Plan to ensure sustainable development in the region.

The Cabinet took the decisions at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here.

The Cabinet gave approval for the appointment of 1,000 multi-task workers (Pashu Mitras) in the Animal Husbandry Department. It also approved the Pashu Mitra Policy, 2025. The 1,000 appointments would be made under the Pashu Mitra Policy, 2025.

The Cabinet also decided to fill 100 posts of Junior Office Assistant (Library) in the Education Department to ensure smooth functioning of school libraries. It approved an increase in the monthly honorarium of Operating Theatre Assistants from Rs 17,820 to Rs 25,000 and of Radiographers and X-Ray Technicians from Rs 13,100 to Rs 25,000. This had been done to ensure that quality healthcare was available to people in the state and trained professionals show interest in serving them.

The Cabinet approved the Mukhya Mantri Green Adoption Yojana for plantations on degraded forestland by private entrepreneurs under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) scheme to increase the actual forest cover in the state.

The Cabinet granted approval for enhancing the fodder grant for gauvansh kept in gau sadans in the state from Rs 700 per cattle head per month to Rs 1,200 per cattle head.

Besides, the Cabinet also approved the creation of 10 posts of Senior Assistant and 15 posts of Junior Office Assistant (IT) in the Revenue Department, five posts in the HP State Transport Appellate Tribunal, Hamirpur, and five posts of Ayurvedic Pharmacy Officer on the batch-wise basis in the Ayush Department.

It gave approval for the framing of comprehensive guidelines for hiring e-taxis under the Rajiv Gandhi Swarojgar Start-Up Yojana, 2023.

The Cabinet gave the go ahead to the merger of the design wing with the civil wing in the state Public Works Department to streamline its functioning and improve operational efficiency. It also gave approval for the renaming of the veterinary dispensary, Sarahan, as the veterinary dispensary, Baga Sarahan, in the Nirmand development block of Kullu district.