CM’s annual discretionary fund gets Rs 150 crore hike
Bhopal: State cabinet on Thursday increased the chief minister’s annual discretionary fund to Rs150 crore from the existing Rs 100 crore. Council of ministers met at the state assembly building on Thursday morning and took several important decisions under the leadership of chief minister Kamal Nath.
The CM discretionary fund has been increased with retrospective effect from the financial year of 2017-18.
Th state cabinet also discussed the SC/ST reservation Bill that has been passed by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and is to be ratified by the MP Assembly. The two-day special session of state assembly began on Thursday and the cabinet discussed the Bill and decided it should be passed without any hitch.
In another decision, cabinet approved setting-up of an Urban Development Institute in Bhopal. The institute will address all aspects of urban development and impart knowledge and training for experts in the field.
Cabinet also gave nod to continue with the Chief Minister’s Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme. To implement the third phase under the scheme, cabinet sanctioned Rs 536 crore through the next four years. Urban civic bodies will be given 20% grant while remaining 80% will be financed through loans. Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Company will acquire loans from various financial, government, nationalized-scheduled-private banks and HUDCO and give it to the urban civic bodies.
Government decided that a cabinet committee will act on the recommendations of the inquiry committee set-up after the firing incident in Bhind district in January 6, 2012.
Council of ministers approved setting-up of a 300 to 400 bedded civil hospital in Balaghat and Bhind, 100-bedded hospital in Khajrana in Indore city and Nayagaon in Jabalpur. A 30-bedded community health centre has been approved for Nsalkheda, Susner, Badnawar, Sardarpur and Harai. The 50-bedded civil hospital of Sonkatch will be upgraded. Cabinet also approved 470 posts and construction of infrastructures for health services in urban areas.
In yet another decision, council of ministers approved 1156 posts for 116 urban primary health centres and four urban community health centres proposed under the national health mission.
Besides, cabinet also agreed on construction and maintenance of 12 roads under PPP model. Government fixed transport permit fee at Rs 57 per ton for minerals including limestone, dolomite, fireclay, manganese, copper, rock phosphate and Rs 33 per cubic metre as transport fee for granite, marble and gravel.
Briefing reporters law minister PC Sharma said the cabinet also discussed the loss to beetle crops by the unprecedented winter and hailstorm in the state and said the farmers would be compensated for lossess if any.
