Over 400 persons provided jobs on compassionate grounds: HP CM

As many as 404 people were provided jobs on compassionate grounds by the government during past one year, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said in the state assembly today.
Replying to a question of Asha Kumari (Congress) and BJP members Gulab Singh, Hans Raj and Randhir Sharma, the Chief Minister said 165 persons were employed in Class III and 239 in Class IV services while 624 cases were still under consideration of the government.
Replying to supplementary questions, Singh said the income criteria has been raised from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh per annum, which included the pension payable to the date of application for providing jobs to widow or dependents of the deceased employee. He stated that there was no proposal to raise the income limit from Rs 1.25 lakh.

Singh also informed the house that before 2006, the PWD officers at local level were empowered to give jobs on daily wages to the dependents of departmental employee but now it has been discontinued.
The pending and sanctioned cases are those from 2008 to 2010 and if there was any case pertaining to earlier years it should be brought to the notice of the government, he said.
In reply to a question by B K Chauhan (BJP), Transport minister G S Bali said Chamba Bus Stand will be constructed under BOT and the land and grant of Rs 5 crore would be provided by National Hydro Power Corporation.

Bali also informed the House that jail department's land was yet to be transferred for construction of bus stand.

Chief Minister told Ravinder Singh Ravi (BJP) that the state government had appointed 24 Additional and Deputy Advocate Generals after assuming office and also placed the details of the appointees on the table of House.
He said that as a policy, the advocates residing in Shimla and practising in the High Court are given preference but did not give the details of the payments made to Advocate General as it was not a part of the main question.
Urban Development minister Sudhir Sharma told Satpal Singh Satti and I D Dhiman (BJP) and Sanjay Rattan (Congress) that arrears of house tax amounting over Rs 23.93 crore were due in respect of 49 Nagar Parishads and Nagar Panchayats in the state.

He said that four urban local bodies have not collected any tax and made it clear that there was no proposal of one time settlement to bail out the defaulters, as it will be unfair to those who have been regularly paying the tax.