The Uttarakhand cabinet, led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, on Tuesday okayed the state's ‘Uttarakhand Aroma Revolution Policy 2026-2036’, as per an official statement from the Chief Minister’s office.
In the first phase of the policy, 22,750 hectares of land will be brought under aromatic crops, benefiting 91,000 farmers. Farmers will receive subsidies of up to 80 per cent on cultivation costs for one hectare and 50 per cent for costs beyond one hectare.
Apart from the Aroma Revolution Policy, the cabinet approved funding for several other schemes in education, housing, and prisons.
For school education, a well-equipped studio will be set up to ensure smooth functioning of the PM e-VIDYA Programme, under which five free educational TV channels are broadcast by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
In housing, the state will spend an additional Rs 2,785 lakh (Rs 27.85 crore) to modify housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). Currently, 1,872 affordable houses are being built by the District Development Authority for low-income groups in Bagwala village, Rudrapur tehsil, Udham Singh Nagar district.
For education reforms, amendments were made to the Uttarakhand Government Primary Education (Teachers) Service Rules, following Supreme Court orders. The rules now allow appointment of Assistant Teachers (Special Education) in government primary schools for children with special needs. Also, in-service D.El.Ed. training conducted by NIOS (through Open Distance Learning) between September 2017 and March 31, 2019, is now recognised for appointments as Assistant Teachers (Primary).
The Social Welfare Department continues to run various marriage grant schemes, including support for marriages of daughters from Scheduled Castes/Tribes, daughters of destitute widows, daughters of abandoned or mentally challenged persons, inter-caste marriages, and marriages of differently-abled individuals.
For prison reforms, the Uttarakhand Prison Administration and Reform Services Department has been reorganised. Approval was given for new posts, including two Women Head Warders, 22 Women Warders, one Additional Inspector General (Correctional Wing), one Resident Medical Officer, and one Personal Assistant. At the prison headquarters, sanitation workers and gardeners will be engaged, while in subordinate prisons, barbers and sanitation workers will be employed through outsourcing.
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