Govt will provide jobs on compassionate ground: Deputy CM

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today said that all eligible candidates would be provided jobs on compassionate ground as soon as the Cabinet sub-committee headed by Education Minister Rohit Thakur submits its recommendations.

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He was replying to a question jointly asked by Una MLA Satpal Singh Satti and Banjar MLA Surinder Shourie during the Question Hour in the Vidhan Sabha.

Agnihotri said that it was the decision of the Cabinet to provide jobs on compassionate ground to all eligible candidates at the earliest. “At present, 1,839 cases for compassionate jobs are pending with the government. The Opposition is trying to create an impression that we do not want to give jobs on compassionate ground, which is totally wrong,” he added.

Rohit Thakur said that the sub-committee had held two meetings and would place its recommendations before the Cabinet by April 15. Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani and Sports Minister Yadvinder Goma are the members of the sub-committee, he added.

Agnihotri said that 2,524 cases for jobs on compassionate ground in various departments had been rejected as income, even if it was pension, was taken into consideration. “The government will take the final decision on the criteria to be adopted after the Cabinet sub-committee submits its recommendations,” he added.

Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and Naina Devi MLA Randhir Sharma said that a majority of cases had been rejected due to excess income than the prescribed limit. “There is a provision for waiving the income limit in exceptional cases. New jobs are not being given so please give relaxation in the income limit, as the pension a family is getting on the demise of an employee is being added to the income,” Jai Ram added.

Jai Ram said that the previous BJP government had given the maximum jobs to the families of employees and also decided to give jobs to the families of employees, who were over 50 years of age when they passed away.

To Manali MLA Bhuvneshwar Gaur’s question, Agnihotri informed the House that not much revenue had been generated from the milk cess and the environment cess imposed by the state government. “The cess was imposed to strengthen the rural economy and protect the environment. There is no burden on common people due to these cess. If any consumer feels he has got inflated electricity bills, he can file a complaint,” he added.

Agnihotri said that the government had provided Rs 1,555 crore to the HPSEB and Rs 44.04 crore to give subsidy to power consumers and hoteliers. Gaur pointed out that though most of the hotels in Manali had remained closed during the winter, hefty electricity bills had been issued to them. This could make the hotel industry unviable.

Jai Ram said that the cess had been imposed on all industries, stone crushers, charging stations and hotels. He added that the government must give relaxation at least to hoteliers.