Summary:
SHIMLA: In the wake of recent accidents involving vehicles carrying school children, Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved transportation guidelines for safe plying of school vehicles. The guidelines stipulate that all school vehicles have a first aid box on board, inflammatory items which are not more than 15 years old, display emergency number and have no curtains or music system. The vehicles should also have speed governors and special provision for the specially-abled students.In April this year, 24 children and two teachers had died when a school bus plunged 328 feet into a gorge in Nurpur. It was also felt that names of practices and inputs of zero budget be simplified and natural farming be encouraged amongst the farmers.Cabinet approved the guidelines for providing assistance for installation of anti-hail nets as per budget assurance. Last week, 10 schoolchildren had sustained injuries after a school van skidded into 100-metre gorge in Mandi district.Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur chaired the meeting in which cabinet gave the nod to open three women police stations in Chamba, Hamirpur and Solan..