General Category Quota: Himachal Pradesh implements 10% quota for economically weak

Shimla : The BJP-ruled Jai Ram Thakur government in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday implemented 10 per cent reservation scheme for the economically weak people in the general category. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting held here. The also approved several other schemes.

The Cabinet decided to provide 10 per cent reservation to the economically weaker sections in the services of the state in Class 1, II, III and IV posts, a government spokesperson told IANS. It also gave approval to implement compensation scheme for women victims or survivors of sexual assault and other crimes.

Under this scheme, a compensation -- ranges between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh as per the gravity of crime -- would be provided to the victims under the Women Victims Compensation Fund as decided by the State Legal Services Authority or District Legal Authority.

The Cabinet decided to give guarantee for Rs 10 crore in favour of Himachal Pradesh State Forest Development Corporation Ltd to avail cash credit limit at lower rates of interest subject to charge of monthly guarantee fee of 0.5 per cent from the corporation.

The Cabinet decided to constitute the State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management Authority and creation of Special Fund to be known as State Compensatory Afforestation Fund for compensatory afforestation on degraded forest land, non forest land and net present value of the diverted forest land.

The authority will consist of a governing body to be chaired by the Chief Minister and the steering committee to be headed by the Chief Secretary.