Ranchi: The state cabinet on Thursday approved the Jharkhand Green Energy Cess Bill 2021, which aims to levy a cess of Rs 0.15 per unit from companies that produce power from conventional sources, organisations which use high voltage transmission lines of 33KV and industrial units that have their own captive power production units. The cess will not be applicable to power companies whose 51% ownership is held by the state government. A bill in this regard would be tabled during the Budget session.
The ministerial council, headed by chief minister Hemant Soren, also approved a bill which aims to amend the provisions of the COTPA Act of 2003. As per the provisions of the new bill, there will be a blanket ban on the establishment and operations of hookah bars in the state. Those found guilty of flouting the law will face a jail term of up to one year and a fine worth Rs 1 lakh.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, cabinet secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh said the bill entails that those who are apprehended while smoking in public will be fined Rs 1,000. As per COTPA’s provisions, the fine was fixed at Rs 200 earlier. Further, the minimum age for buying tobacco products in the state will be raised to 21 years from 18.
“No tobacco sellers will be allowed to operate within a 100-meter radius of hospitals, courts, government offices, schools and educational institutions. The sellers cannot sell loose cigarettes and beedis either,” Singh said.
Both the bills will be tabled in the upcoming Budget session of the Jharkhand assembly.
Ahead of the session, the Soren cabinet also approved a proposal to raise the wages of MGNREGS workers in the state by Rs 31. At present, MGNREGS workers in Jharkhand are paid Rs 194 per man day. “The increase in wages will be borne by the state government. For it, the cabinet approved an additional allocation of Rs 341 crore,” Singh said.
In another decision, the state cabinet also approved a proposal to hike the monthly pensions of those who were a part of separate statehood movement and served jail term in between three months and over 6 years. Under the new slabs, those who served jail terms up to three months will receive a monthly pension of Rs 3,500, while those who served jail terms up to five years will get Rs 5,000. Those who served more than six years in jail will get Rs 7,000 each month.
“That apart, the kin of those who were in jail or suffered physical handicap of 40% or more during their jail term, will be eligible for direct recruitment in Grade III and IV jobs of the state government as per their educational qualifications or through 5% reservation,” Singh added.