Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Cabinet approved the provision of Rs 1,500 per month as Indira Gandhi Mahila Samman Nidhi to all the eligible women of above 18 years in the Spiti Valley, said an official release on Wednesday.

The state Cabinet in its meeting decided to constitute a Cabinet Sub Committee comprising Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri as Chairman and Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar and, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh as members to formulate a White Paper on the financial position of the State. The cabinet also gave its nod to introduce e-stamping in the State for the collection of stamp duty to promote ease of doing business. It decided to stop printing physical stamp papers with immediate effect and to authorize stamp vendors as authorized collection centres.

It also decided to continue with a dual system of stamps, i.e. physical stamp paper and e-stamp paper from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, and after April 1, 2024, physical stamp paper will be discontinued completely.

The Cabinet decided to give Rs 600 in lieu of school uniforms through direct benefit transfer to all eligible students.

It also decided to increase the honorarium of Nambardars in the Revenue Department from Rs 3,200 to Rs 3,700 per month as per the budget announcement, which will benefit about 3,177 Nambardars in the State.

The Cabinet gave its nod to increase the honorarium of revenue chowkidars or part-time workers from Rs 5000 to Rs 5500 per month and it will benefit around 1950 revenue chowkidars or part-time workers.

It decided to amend Swaran Jayanti Energy Policy, 2021 to make the transfer of land for setting up solar power and new and renewable energy projects on a lease or purchase or acquisition basis, subject to the applicable provisions of the various acts pertaining to the matter.

It also decided to increase the court fee rates from Rs 6 to Rs 20 for filing any application or petition in the Revenue Courts or applying attestation of affidavit or any other documents in Civil Courts other than High Court.

The Cabinet decided to constitute the Atal Tunnel Planning Area and freezing of the existing land use of the Atal Tunnel planning area which includes revenue villages of district Lahaul-Spiti.

It gave its approval to fill up 50 posts of Junior Engineer (Civil) and 30 posts of Junior Draughtsman in the Public Works Department, 15 posts of Assistant Engineers (Civil) and 50 posts of Junior Engineer (Civil) in Jal Shakti Vibhag through direct recruitment.
It further also decided to fill up three vacant posts of Assistant Registrar Cooperative Societies in the Department of Cooperation and four posts of lecturers in the Ayush Department through direct recruitment at Rajiv Gandhi Government Post Graduate Ayurvedic College Paprola, district Kangra.