The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday decided to lift the night curfew imposed in four districts of the state, which include Shimla, Kangra, Mandi and Kullu. It also decided to restore the usual six-day week schedule in government offices in the state.

The Cabinet, which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, decided to allow coaching classes in the state with 50 per cent capacity. The state education department would issue Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in this regard.

On the State Election Commission’s request, the Jai Ram Cabinet also relaxed the condition of allowing not more than 50 persons in an indoor meeting so that the Commission could undertake its election related training programme effectively.

In view of the Covid-19 scenario in the state, the Cabinet decided that the makeshift hospitals at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, Community Health Centre (CHC), Nalagarh, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College Tanda would be made functional by outsourcing of Ward Sisters, Staff Nurses and Class-IV staff for the time being, whereas Medical Officers would be arranged through fresh/direct walk-in-interviews and the proposal of HLL would be kept in abeyance depending upon the future Covid scenario.

The Cabinet thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India for approving the Covid vaccine for use in India by taking a lead amongst the comity of nations in this regard. It also thanked the scientists of the country for successful production of the vaccine as part of “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat” programme.

The Cabinet also congratulated the Prime Minister for being adjudged — by the American data firm Morning Consult in its recently held survey — as “best and most popular leader” worldwide for “effective handling” of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

It also gave approval to start Single Window Empanelment for registration of private hospitals for effective implementation of the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the Him Care Yojana and the Government Medical Reimbursement Scheme in the state. A presentation was made by the Horticulture Department before the Cabinet on a six months target till March 2021 and next one year’s target w.e.f. April, 2021 to March, 2022. The Animal Husbandry Department also made a presentation on the avian influenza outbreak among migratory birds at a dam in Kangra district.

The Cabinet advised the Department of Health and the Department of Animal Husbandry to ensure adequate availability of medicines specific to this avian flu and PPE kits for staff there. It also advised strict enforcement of restrictions on movement imposed by the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, in the affected area.