The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Monday approved amendments to the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Rules, 2014, to restrict the construction of buildings on the valley side of the Shimla Municipal Corporation area. According to the new provisions, such constructions must be at least a metre below road level. The amendments aim to preserve the valleys aesthetic appeal for visitors. In its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Cabinet also approved the Pashu Mitra Policy, 2025, under which 1,000 posts of pashu mitras (multitask workers) will be filled in the animal husbandry department. It approved enhancing the fodder grant from Rs 700 to Rs 1,200 per cattle per month for animals in cattle shelters in the state. It also approved filling 100 posts of junior office assistant (library) in the education department to ensure smooth functioning of school libraries and the creation of 10 posts of senior assistant and 15 posts of junior office assistant (IT) in the revenue department. A hike in the monthly honorarium of operation theatre assistants from Rs 17,820 to Rs 25,000 and that of radiographers and X-ray technicians from Rs 13,100 to Rs 25,000 was also approved. The Cabinet gave its nod to the Mukhya Mantri Green Adoption Yojana for plantations on degraded forest lands by private entrepreneurs under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme to increase the states actual forest area. It also decided to bring the forest tract adjoining Mata Tara Devi temple in Shimla district under the green area of the Shimla Development Plan to ensure the regions sustainable development. Approval for framing comprehensive guidelines on hiring e-taxis under the Rajiv Gandhi Swarojgar Start-Up Yojna, 2023, was also granted. The Cabinet further greenlit the merger of the public works departments design wing with the civil wing to streamline its functioning and improve operational efficiency.

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