HP Cabinet nod to issuance of LOI for revival of mining leases

The Himachal Pradesh cabinet today gave its nod for issuance of Letter of Intent (LOI) to the applicants for "grant and revival of mining leases", enabling them to apply for environment clearance.
The LOI will be issued at the Directorate level and only in the cases wherein the government has agreed in-principle for grant or renewal of mining lease.
The Cabinet decided to amend the 'Financial Assistance and Support Services to victim of rape: A scheme for restorative justice.'
The assistance under the scheme will be available in those cases where FIRs have been registered on or after the date on which district-level Criminal Relief and Rehabilitation Boards were constituted.

It also decided to rename the scheme as the Himachal Pradesh Financial Assistance and Support Services to victims of rape scheme-2012.
The Cabinet also reviewed various decisions taken by the previous government during the last six months of its tenure and decided to have a re-look into the amendments made in some clauses of the hydro power policy.

It decided to grant ex-post facto approval for depositing tax under Rule 40(1) of the HP Value Added Tax Rules.
As per the rules, every registered dealer is required to furnish self-assess returns quarterly, but due to heavy snowfall in tribal areas, the dealers of Kinnaur district could not file their returns on time and were granted extension up to February 28, 2013.

The Cabinet also sanctioned the appointment of retired IAS officer, Subhash Ahluwalia as Adviser (Media) in the Information and Public Relations Department.
A decision to insert new provisions in the HP Liquor License Rules, 1986, for grant of Ahatha License in rural areas of the state was also taken by the Cabinet as it observed that liquor was being consumed in way side dhabas in remote areas without license from the excise department.