Next Cabinet meet to take call on Joshimath rehabilitation package

DEHRADUN: The next Cabinet meeting scheduled on February 15 is being termed as an important one before the Budget session. The Cabinet is expected to finalise the relief package for affected families of Joshimath and may also take a call on giving 10% horizontal reservation in government jobs to statehood agitators and their dependents.
Presently, eight top institutes are studying the situation at Joshimath.The report would be compiled and forwarded to the National Disaster Management Authority. On the basis of the findings of the experts and their suggestions, the government would take a call on deciding the package. According to sources, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and his cabinet colleagues are expected to take a call on this issue on Friday.
The government had formed a three-member cabinet sub-committee headed by minister Subodh Uniyal and after meeting the statehood agitators, the committee would hand over its report before February 15. While authorities have remained tight-lipped, sources maintained that the sub-committee has given a nod for the horizontal reservation.
In 2004, the then ND Tiwari government had given a nod to the reservation in government jobs for statehood agitators. The order was for a five-year period and was later granted an extension. In August 2013, the High Court had stopped the horizontal reservation. Thereafter, the Harish Rawat government and the Trivendra Singh Rawat government have made efforts to re-start the process.
The legal and technical aspects of the issue have been studied and now the Dhami government is all set to start the horizontal reservation. At present, the statehood agitators are getting the benefit of a pension scheme. The pension has been divided in three categories -- active agitators are getting Rs 4,500, while those who were in jail for a week or more are given Rs 6,000 and those who have no other source of earning and are completely helpless are getting a Rs 20,000 pension.