Himachal govt fixes max no of directors of HPPCL at 9

Shimla, Feb 15 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh governmenttoday decided to fix maximum number of directors of HimachalPradesh Power Corporation Ltd at nine and also approvedamendment to the Articles of Association of the corporation.

The state Cabinet further authorised the Corporation toavail loan from the Asian Development Bank to the extent of Rs3,500 crore for execution of various hydro-electric projectsalloted to HPPCL.

In order to implement the provisions of EnergyConservation Act, 2001, and to utilise State EnergyConservation Fund for efficient use of energy and itsconservation within the state, the cabinet decided to framethe HP State Energy Conservation Fund Rules, 2011.

The cabinet approved recruitment of 165 PanchayatSahayaks in the Department of Panchayat Raj on contract basisby following the roster system and also gave nod to creationof 12 posts of different categories in the State Science,Technology and Environment Council to manage the ''StateClimate Change Centre''.

The cabinet also approved the draft of Governor�s addressto be delivered on the opening day of the budget session ofthe Assembly on February 28 next.

It authorised the Department of Excise and Taxation tocarry auction proceedings for collection of tolls at TollBarriers under the H P Tolls Act, 1975 for the year 2011-12beginning from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012.

It granted approval to leasing out of land at Bilaspurand Mashobra in district Shimla for setting up of Rural SelfEmployment Training Institutes (RSETI) by UCO Bank, on a tokenlease payment of Re 1 per month for 33 years.