Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 31 (ANI): The Himachal Pradesh State Cabinet, in a meeting held on Saturday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, took several key decisions aimed at enhancing governance, environmental sustainability, and public welfare, a release said.

In its meeting, the State Cabinet decided to fill 700 posts of Home Guard Volunteers in the Home Guards and Civil Defence Department.

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It gave its nod to regularise the services of 203 Panchayat Secretary (Zila Parishad cadre) who had completed two years of contract services as of March 31, 2025.

The Cabinet approved an amendment to the Postgraduate/Specialist Services (PG/SS) Policy by withdrawing the mandatory requirement of one-year field posting prior to eligibility for Senior Residency at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda. This decision has been taken in line with the policy followed at AIIMS, Chamiyana. The amendment is aimed at streamlining the selection process, ensuring fairness, and bringing coherence between the implementation of the Resident Doctor Policy and the PG/SS Policy.

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The cabinet approved the shifting of the Himachal Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) office from Shimla to Dharamsala.

It also decided to introduce the Deposit Refund Scheme 2025 to manage and reduce non-biodegradable waste effectively. Under this scheme, consumers will pay a refundable deposit over and above the product price, which will be returned upon the return of the empty product. The scheme will be applicable to a wide range of packaging materials, including glass bottles, plastic beverage containers, aluminium cans, liquid packaging, flexible plastic packaging and multilayered packages. It will be implemented on a pilot basis.

As in 2010, the Cabinet gave its in-principle approval to start a de-novo reservation roster for the members and Chairpersons of Panchayati Raj Institutions.

It allowed the Himachal Pradesh Forest Development Corporation to collect minor minerals and carry out dredging operations in rivers and ponds located in forest areas across the state, with the aim of better source management and environmental sustainability.

It decided to bifurcate the Elementary Education Block Ramshahar in Solan district by creating a new Elementary Education Block at Baddi, along with the creation and filling up of the requisite posts to ensure smooth functioning.

It also decided to reorganise the Development Blocks of Sulah, Bhawarna and Lambagaon of Kangra district and Bharanj of Hamirpur District to facilitate the people of these areas. (ANI)

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