UP cabinet announces several sops

Lucknow, Feb 6 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh government today hiked honorarium of 'shiksha mitras' by Rs 600 per month and waived collection fee of 10 per cent imposed by commercial banks/financial institutions on one-time-settlement on agricultural loan of over Rs one lakh.

The decision was taken by the state cabinet here, which was chaired by Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The government also hiked the pension to widows of 1984 Sikh riots from Rs 2,000 per month to Rs 2,500 per month from March 2007.

The life time pension would be given to all widows, aged parents and people who became handicapped by over 70 per cent.

The meeting also decided to give free admission to students of the backward community after tenth standard as was the case with the SC/ST students.

According to the decision, now 'shiksha mitras' would get Rs 3,000 per month as honorarium from July 2007, which will be paid through banks. The female 'shiksha mitras' would get pregnancy leave of three months for their first issues.

The commercial banks and financial institutions would not realise collection fee of 10 per cent on one time settlement on agricultural loan of over Rs one lakh due to scanty rainfall and drought like situation in the state.

The government has also extended the farmers accident insurance by one year under which the family of a farmer, having a bank account, will recieve Rs one lakh in case of accidental death.

Under National Rural Employment Act 2005, the state governemnt has drawn up a UP Rural Employment Scheme in which adult and unskilled worker of a family would be given at least 100 mandays employment per year.

For implementation of the scheme, the government has also decided to constitute UP state Employment Guarantee Council headed by Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC).

Officials and employess of the UP Sanskrit Sansthan would recieve salary and DA at par with the state government employees and 50 per cent of their DA would be merged with their salary. The government has also hiked the retirement age of teachers and other employees of the sports college from 58 to 60 yrs.

The government, amending a previous rule, has now included dependent grandson and unmarried girls as eligible for getting government jobs on compensation ground for a government employee.

UNI