HP Cabinet Meeting: Schools will open for classes 9th to 12th from February 3, the system of Five Day Week will also end

Important decisions were taken in the cabinet meeting held at the state secretariat on Monday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. Schools will be opened for the students of class 9th to 12th in the state from February 3. All other higher educational institutions, coaching institutes, libraries will also be opened from February 3. In summer schools, it has been made mandatory for teachers to come to schools from Tuesday, February 1. Regular classes for the students will start from 3rd February.

Students will be accommodated according to 50 percent of the capacity of the classes. Through the Deputy Directors of Education, orders have been given to the principals of the schools to prepare a micro plan for the students to come to the school. The system of Five Day Week has also ended. Now there will be work in government offices 6 days a week. Divyang and pregnant women will work from home under the earlier arrangement. The budget session of Himachal Vidhan Sabha will run from February 23 to March 15. On March 4, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur will present the annual budget for the financial year 2022-23.

Events can be held outdoor with a capacity of 500 people and indoor with 250 people and 50 percent capacity. Night curfew will continue in the state from 10 pm to 6 am. Restrictions on the timing of opening and closing of shops have also been removed. Shops will open and close normally as before.

There will be a ban on langar in temples. All gyms and clubs will open. The cabinet has approved the drug prevention policy. The income limit of the Social Security Pension Scheme has been increased. This limit has been increased from 35 thousand to 50 thousand now. Approval was given for the opening of the Horticulture Development Office at Balichowki in Mandi and the creation of necessary posts.

In the cabinet meeting, approval was given to open a sub-division of Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department at Himachal Bhawan, New Delhi, and to fill up nine posts of different categories in it. The cabinet in its decision regarding opening of a new division of Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department at Shahpur in district Kangra on 14 January 2022 to bring three sections Chadi, Gaggal, and Rajol under sub-division Gaggal for the convenience of the people of the area. Decided to make a partial modification.

The cabinet also decided to bear the 25 paise per transaction fee imposed by the state government on the ration cardholders as an Aadhaar authentication fee. This will benefit 19,30,000 ration cardholders of the state and the government will spend Rs 55.58 lakh on this item.