Cabinet approves scheme to make state disabled-friendly

Ranchi: The

Raghubar Das

cabinet on Tuesday approved the ‘Jharkhand Divyang Jan Adhikar Niyamavali – 2018’ that aims to make the state a friendlier place for the physically challenged.

The regulations mandate that disabled persons get an obstruction free environment and government support for survival and well-being.

Under the scheme, persons with disabilities will be entitled to equal opportunities in government and private jobs. To achieve the target, each office establishment will have to maintain records of their disabled employees.

The cabinet ruled that a state level commission will be set up for looking into grievances. The regulations also mandate a revision in the stipends and the formation of a special committee to locate disabled persons across the state.

Further, the cabinet allotted a three-acre plot at Dubalia mouja of Kanke block to Kolkata-based Rashtriya Gatishil Divyang Sangathan for establishment of a new composite centre for education and rehabilitation of disabled persons.

In another decision, the cabinet approved a fund of Rs 185.12 crore for the implementation of the

Pradhan Mantri Saubhagya Yojana

. The Jharkhand Urja Sancharan Nigam Limited (JUSNL) will provide electricity to 19.88 lakh households across Jharkhand which still live without electricity, under the scheme.

“A sum of Rs 90 crore is provisioned for this scheme in the state budget of 2018-19 FY. The cabinet also approved disbursement of Rs 88.12 crore for its implementation,” cabinet secretary SKG Rahate said. Currently, 38 lakh households have electricity while the electrification work of another 13 lakh homes is underway.

A sum of Rs 243.20 crore was allotted to JUSNL for installing a GIS-based 220/33 KV substation and underground cabling of a 132 KV substation in the Ranchi smart city project area in Dhurwa.

The cabinet also sanctioned Rs 122.78 crore for setting up of a solid-waste management plant under the Madhupur Nagar Parishad in Giridih under PPP mode. Rahate said the proposal was also sent to the State Election Commission for its approval because the model code of conduct was in effect. A sum of Rs 102.15 crore was also sanctioned to Simdega Nagar Parishad for another solid waste plant.

Further, a proposal of the urban development department to enable engineers who graduated from recognized colleges outside the state to apply for contractual openings advertised by the department has been approved. However, the engineers will have to be state residents.

The council also gave its nod to a proposal to re-name the ‘commission’ paid to ration dealers across the state for handling and transportation of goods to ‘operational grant’.

The dearness allowances of government employees were raised by 7% of their basic salaries. The 11-member cabinet also approved constitution of the Jharkhand Authority of Advanced Ruling to tackle hurdles faced by the state’s businessmen after implementation of the GST.