Feasibility study for Metro services in Varanasi, Agra soon

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet today took a host of decisions including the one to carry out a feasibility study for introduction of Metro rail services in Varanasi, Meerut, Agra and Kanpur districts.
The cabinet meeting was chaired by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
"It has been decided to nominate RITES, an organisation of the Union government, for the job of preparation of feasibility report...," the cabinet decision said.
The cabinet also approved the Biotechnology Policy-2014 and the Science and Technology Council of Uttar Pradesh has been nominated as the nodal agency to implement it, according to an official release here.

The cabinet okayed the constitution of State Women Empowerment Mission under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister. The mission will work on reviewing, coordinating and implementing various schemes run by different departments for women, it said.
A state review committee will be constituted under the chief secretary to help the mission in its work.

The state has also decided to constitute Rani Lakshmibai Samman Kosh with a corpus fund of Rs 100 crore to help women, who are victims of violence and the fund will be enhanced from time to time.
Accepting the demands of Madrassa teachers, the state cabinet decided to hike their honorarium. While teachers qualified up to intermediate will now be given Rs 4,000 in place of Rs 3,000, those having bachelor degree with BEd will be given Rs 8,000 in place of Rs 6,000, and those having post graduate degree with BEd will be given Rs 15,000 in place of existing Rs 12,000.

The cabinet has decided to hike daily meal allowance of patients admitted in hospitals run by Employees State Insurance Corporation from Rs 65 to Rs 100.
A proposal of UP State Power Generation Corporation to establish a joint venture for coal mining from West Bengal and to sign agreement with other companies has also been approved.
In another decision which, it is said, will improve law and order, the government has decided to provide CUG mobile phones to over 22,282 inspectors and sub-inspectors of police.