The Hindu : National : Five-day week for Rajasthan employees gets Cabinet nod

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Five-day week for Rajasthan employees gets Cabinet nod

Special Correspondent

Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendation also accepted

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Cabinet on Saturday approved the proposal for a five-day week for the State government employees, announced earlier by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, in her Independence Day address at Bikaner.

The Cabinet, presided over by Ms. Raje also in principle accepted the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission for implementation in the State. It set up a Cabinet sub-committee to look into any possible anomalies in the pay structure in the wake of recommendations.

The Cabinet sanctioned Rs.10 crore for flood relief in Bihar. It offered more assistance to the State in future and sought public contributions to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for Bihar flood victims.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore said the working hours for the government staff would be from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a 30 minutes lunch break. The new schedule would come to effect from Monday.

The Cabinet also cleared proposals on the autonomy of the local self-government bodies, which included direct elections of Mayors to the municipal corporations, chairpersons and presiding officers to the municipal councils and the municipalities.

It would be mandatory for the elected bodies to hold at least six meetings a year with a maximum time gap of 60 days between such meetings.

While the structure of Urban Improvement Trusts (UITs) would remain same, the local self-government bodies can approve their annual budgets on their own.

In cities with a population ofmore than 10 lakh, district planning committees would be set up. They would look after town planning, heritage protection and solid waste management.

Earlier announcements by Ms. Raje on upgrading Bikaner and Ajmer municipal councils to municipal corporations and taking the number of corporations in the State to five were also approved. Upgrading Udaipur municipal council to a corporation is under consideration.

The Cabinet also cleared the elevation of municipalities at Hanumangarh, Kishengarh and Jhunjhunu as municipal councils. The case of Churu municipality is under consideration for upgrading.

The towns of Lunkaransar, Napasar and Kajuwala are likely to be made municipalities soon.

The Cabinet also announced a new policy on naming roads and installing statues at public places.

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