Uttarakhand cabinet 10 per cent horizontal quota for Statehood activists

The Uttarakhand government has given approval to the 10 percent horizontal reservation to the statehood activists in the state government  job. The decision was taken in the cabinet meeting held at Bhararisain under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday. The decision on the reservation to Statehood activists assumes significance since the governor had returned the bill granting 10 per cent reservation to the statehood activists in the past. The statehood activists are not getting the benefit of reservation in government jobs for the past 12 years.In 2004, the then-ND Tiwari government had given a nod to to reservation in government jobs for statehood agitators. the statehood agitators are getting the benefit of a pension scheme. The pension has been divided into three categories - active agitators are getting a pension of Rs 4,500.while those who were in jail for a week or more are given Rs 6,000 pension and those who have no other source of earning are getting Rs 20,000 as pension.
The Cabinet also given approval to new solar policy and  to the proposal of increasing MLA Local Area Development Fund from 3 crore 75 lakh to 5 crore per year. The MLAs were demanding an increase in the fund for a considerable period of time. They were demanding that it should either be increased or it should be exempted from SGST which is 18 per cent. The other major decisions taken by the Cabinet include increase in the financial assistance given to Mahila Mangal Dal from 25 lakh rupees to 40 lakh rupees and increase in grant given for the beautification of temples from 25 lakh rupees to 50 lakh rupees.