Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Thursday announced it will give Rs 50,000 to each family affected by cloudbursts in Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla districts and paid its tributes to people killed in the tragedy.  It also decided to fill about 950 vacant posts across categories in government hospitals. Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in Kullus Nirmand, Sainj and Malana, Mandis Padhar and Shimlas Rampur around July 31 midnight have claimed 22 lives so far, while rescue operations are underway to trace more than 30 missing. The state cabinet in its meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced grants of Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 per month as rental expenses in urban and rural areas to those whose homes were completely wrecked. The money will be in addition to free ration, LPG refills, utensils, and bedding for a period of three months till October 31. The Cabinet also gave its approval to create and fill 951 posts, including those of 50 medical officers and 700 nurses in Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Kangra districts Tanda, and Indira Gandhi Medical College Shimla and Atal Institute of Medical Super Specialty in Shimlas Chamiyana was also given. The cabinet approved an amendment to the Himachal Pradesh Minor Minerals (Concession) and Minerals (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2015, paving way for auctioning of private lands available for mining for extraction of minerals. The amendment allows for a provision of 80 per cent of the annual bid amount to the land owners. Permission was also given for the use of machinery for mineral excavations in the riverbeds, with the depth of mining raised from existing one metre to two metres into the bed, a statement said.  A provision was made to allow removal of sand and gravel from agriculture fields up to the depth of two metres after every monsoon season under non-mining activity.   The new amendments prescribe Rs 5 per tonne as Electric Vehicle charges, Rs 5 per tonne as online charges, and Rs 2 per tonne as milk cess payable to the government. For the usage of materials generated due to non mining activities, a processing charge of Rs 140 per tonne will be charged by the government.  To promote natural farming in the State, the Cabinet announced the implementation of the Him Unnati (an area-based Integrated and Comprehensive Agriculture Development Scheme), with the use of a cluster-based approach for the production and certification of chemical-free produce, to establish 2,600 agricultural groups with 50,000 farmers.

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