The Himachal Pradesh government on Monday decided to open schools for students of 3rd to 7th classes with effect from 10 November while for students of 1st and 2nd standards from 15th of November if Covid situation remains normal.

The decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting held here in Shimla under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said the Cabinet decided to recommend Governor RV Arlekar to convene the winter session of HP Vidhan Sabha from 10th to 15th December at Dharamshala in Kangra district and it would have five sittings.

The transport buses will resume with full capacity instead of earlier 50 per cent norms.

The Cabinet also decided to hold ‘Janmanch’ Programme on 21 November in different parts of the state.

He stated that it also reviewed the progress in implementation of Swarnim Drishti Patra of the Bharatiya Janata Party which has been adopted as Policy Document of the present state government for which the General Administration department made a detailed presentation.

“The Cabinet decided to constitute a Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary with Vice Chancellors of Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla and Cluster University Mandi and Secretary Education as its Members to work out the modalities to set up a state university at Mandi.

It gave its nod to enhance the stipend of PG-MDS students of Himachal Pradesh Government Dental College Shimla by Rs 5,000 per month from 1st April 2021. Now the MDS students of 1st year would get Rs 40000 instead of Rs 35,000, 2nd-year students would get Rs 45,000 instead of Rs 40,000 and 3rd-year students will get Rs 50,000 per month instead of Rs 45,000,” he added.

He further stated that the Cabinet gave its approval for inclusion and addition of more items in the existing schedule of the Himachal Pradesh Agricultural and Horticultural Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2005 to achieve the prospective growth of diversified agriculture and allied sector in the larger interest of the farming community of the state.

Earlier as many as 131 items were included in the existing schedule of the Act.

Now as many as 259 items including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables fibres, animal husbandry products and livestock, condiments and species, medicinal and aromatic plant species, flowers, potted plants and their seeds and other products have been included under it.

It also decided to upgrade Government Middle School, Chet in Mandi district to Government High School along with creation of requisite posts for its smooth functioning.

It decided to fill up 10 posts of Drivers in General Administration department of HP Secretariat on a secondment basis.

A presentation was also made on Covid-19 situation in the state and to review the preparedness to tackle the speculated third wave of Coronavirus. It was informed that the state has cape if producing more oxygen than the requirement and vaccination campaign was going on in full swing with target of 100 per cent vaccination with second dose will be achieved by month-end.

The Cabinet also reviewed the implementation status and decisions taken by it in the past.