HP govt okays setting up of body to oversee Swan river project

Himachal Pradesh government today decided to set up a specially-empowered authority to ensure timely completion and better monitoring of the Swan river channelisation project.
At a meeting of the state Cabinet here presided over by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, it was decided that the HP Swan River Channelisation Authority (HPSRCA) would be created as a specially-empowered state government entity.
The said project, which is to come up at a cost of Rs 922.48 crore, would be completed in 48 months and benefit 2.36 lakh people across 165 villages.
The Cabinet also okayed amendments in the HP Member Legislative Assembly (Discretionary Grant) Rules, 2013.

Thus, now the discretionary grant shall be Rs 8 lakh for ministers and the Speaker, Rs 6 lakh for the deputy Speaker and Rs 4 lakh for Chief Parliamentary Secretaries.
The MLAs already have a discretionary grant of Rs 2 lakh.

The Cabinet also gave its nod to a complete ban on the felling of Bargad and Peepal trees standing on private land.
It also approved the Financial Restructuring Plan (FRP) of the HP State Electricity Board Ltd.
A decision was taken to amend the guidelines for the management of the Local Area Development Fund (LADF) for Hydro Electric Projects. It named the Forest Minister as the chairman of the LADF for Chamba district.