The Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday approved the draft Electric Vehicle policy to make the state a global hub for electric mobility development and manufacturing of electric vehicles.

The decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting held here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

The Electric Vehicle Policy envisages promoting sustainable transport systems, creating public and private charging infrastructure for electric vehicles besides providing subsidies, incentives to the electric vehicles manufacturing industries, a government official said.

The Cabinet decided to fill up 100 posts of clerks in place of Junior Office Assistant (IT) in HP Secretariat on a contract basis, besides filling up 50 posts of clerks against the anticipated vacancy of clerks during the years 2022 and 2023.

In order to double the farmer’s income by enhancing production and productivity of traditional crops and to improve nutritional security and income of growers, ‘Swaran Jayanti Paramparagat Beej Suraksha Avam Samvardhan Yojana will be implemented in the state.

The Cabinet gave its approval for procurement, supply and distribution of school bags under ‘Atal School Vardi Yojna’ to the school students of class 1st, 3rd, 6th and 9th on the basis of e-tender. This would benefit about three lakh students studying in different government schools of the State, on which an amount of Rs 9 crore would be spent.

It gave its nod to provide abatement/relaxation of toll fees for the year 2020-21 to toll units keeping in view the representations received from toll lessees especially from those who have got the toll unit renewed on full value.

The toll units were requesting that the substantial abatement/relaxation in toll fees, as well as payment of monthly instalments, be given to them as inward traffic with effect from June to September 2020 was badly affected and only vehicles applying essential commodities were allowed to enter the state.

The Cabinet decided to extend the contract of M/s TATA Consultancy Services with effect from 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2022 exclusively of any taxes at the cost of Rs 6.18 crore with the condition that the Excise Department would place a mechanism to take over the running of services internally.

It also gave its nod to introduce The Sardar Patel University, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh (Establishment and Regulation) Bill, 2021 in Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly for setting up of new University at Mandi.

The Cabinet also gave its nod to reduce stamp duty to the nominal amount of Rs 10 on the Hypothecation Agreements for loans sanctioned to the Street Vendors, rehriwala etc under the PM SVA-Nidhi scheme applicable in urban areas.

It gave its ex post facto approval of Letter of Award along with approval for 4 years in respect of Letter of Award to Medswan Foundation including the signing of the tripartite agreement for operation and maintenance of NAS-108/JSSK-102 ambulances along with the Call Centre services in the state.