Schools for classes 6 to 12 in Uttarakhand to reopen from February 8

All schools of Uttarakhand will reopen from February 8 for classes 6 to 12, Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik said.

The decision was taken at a state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat here on Saturday, he said.

The decision is applicable to both the government and private schools, the minister added.

Schools in Uttarakhand had been reopened earlier in November last year only for classes 10 and 12.

Schools are being reopened on this scale in the state for the first time after the imposition of lockdown nearly a year ago amid the Cvid-19 outbreak.

Rs 2,800 will be given to girls in all categories going on to class 9 for buying a bicycle to commute to their schools, Kaushik said.

The Cabinet also gave its nod to increasing the number of workdays under MGNREGA from 100 to 150 days.

Additional expenses to the tune of over Rs 18 crore to be incurred over this hike would be met by the state government out of its own resources, Kaushik said.

The Cabinet also decided to allocate liquor shops for two years instead of one through the process of e-tendering in the state.

The fee for allocation of liquor shops will be Rs 50,000 in place of Rs 40,000, he added.