SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh will keep educational institutions closed till April 21. A decision to this effect was taken in the cabinet meeting held in Shimla on Friday to review the situation in the wake of sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in the state.
Urban development minister Suresh Bhardwaj said officials of health department made presentation on the pandemic to brief the cabinet about the existing situation and on the vaccination drive being carried in the state. He said the the health department and other departments concerned have been directed to take strict measures to curb Covid cases.
Presentations were also made by the jal shakti department on the prevailing drought situation in the state, following which it was decided to hold a review meeting under the chairmanship of chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, including all stakeholders, for further decisions.
The cabinet also decided to implement central sector scheme ‘Svamitva’ in the state for surveying land parcels in rural inhabited areas by using drone technology. For this, the revenue department would be designated as the nodal department for implementation of the scheme with the support of panchayati raj department. An MoU would be signed with the Survey of India for starting the scheme in the state and a state steering committee, state project management unit and district project monitoring unit would also be constituted for effective implementation of the scheme.
It also decided to fill up 311 posts of forest guards in forest department on contract basis through direct recruitment. These include already approved 113 posts of forest guards by the cabinet during its meeting held on March 9. Besides, 25 posts of agriculture development officers would also be filled on contract basis in the agriculture department through HP Public Service Commission against direct recruitment quota.