Ranchi, May 15: The Jharkhand state cabinet on Thursday approved a new excise policy that will privatize retail liquor sales, while retaining wholesale operations under government control, part of a set of 17 proposals cleared during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Under the revised liquor framework, the allotment of all 1,453 liquor shops in the state will be conducted through a lottery system. The policy is scheduled for implementation within a month.
In another major decision, the cabinet approved the inclusion of citizens above 70 years of age under the Chief Minister Ayushman Yojana, granting them health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh.
The cabinet also agreed to increase support for National Cadet Corps (NCC) members by raising their daily and food allowances from ₹150 to ₹220.
“At present, every cadet gets food allowance at the rate of Rs 150 per day in the NCC cadets camp. It has now been increased to Rs 220 per day,” Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel told reporters.
On the education front, the service conditions manual for the appointment of secondary teachers, principals, and other government school employees was approved. The cabinet also finalized a fee structure for vocational education courses.
Significant allocations were made for infrastructure and development, including ₹76 crore for the Madhupur Urban Water Supply Scheme, ₹55 crore for the Barkitand–Teenpalli–Dokidih–Girnia Mor road in Giridih district, and ₹10 crore for the World Bank-supported Jharkhand Municipal Development Project.
Other decisions included approval of the Factory Amendment Bill, extension of the Udaan air service programme, regularization of services for retired clerks, maintenance of medical college facilities, and the approval of a new Jail Manual.
