Akhilesh govt unveils slew of populist measures

Raises income cap for creamy layer, announces pension scheme for 4 mn families, regularises ad-hoc teachers

The Samajwadi Party government on Tuesday announced a slew of decisions, including raising the annual income limit for creamy layer to Rs 8 lakh, a pension scheme that would benefit four million families and regularising ad-hoc teachers.

Giving details of the decisions taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Chief Secretary Javed Usmani said it would be launched in rural areas and would be the biggest state-sponsored scheme in the country.  He said it was decided to raise the annual family income limit from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for availing reservation facility under Other Backward Classes Reservation Act, 1994. He said keeping in view inflation and other aspects, the income limit has been increased.

Eligible families for the pension scheme would be selected in the open meeting of the village panchayats. In the first phase, prepared on the basis of conditional cash transfer scheme, a pension of Rs 500 per month would be given to the head of the selected family. He said if the family maintained positive social behaviour for the next one year, this would be raised by Rs 50 from next year, which would be maximum Rs 250 in five years.

Positive social behaviour means that all children between the age group of six and 14 years go to school and their attendance is at least 70 per cent. He said those getting pension under Rani Laxmibai Pension scheme would be given preference under the new scheme.

As promised by the Samajwadi Party during Assembly elections, 1.7 lakh shiksha mitras (ad-hoc teaching assistants), who are engaged in teaching work from the last several years, would be absorbed in the regular workforce, he said.

Usmani said that the programme would be started in the next 10 days.

He said that the excise policy for 2014-15 and 2015-16 was also decided under which renewal system of the liquor vends would be adopted.

He said that for country-made liquor regulated guaranteed quota for the year 2014-15 would be six per cent, whereas it would be eight per cent for the next fiscal.

Usmani said that system of premium vends was conceptualised for sale of liquor in malls, but was being abolished after it proved unsuccessful.

He said that the cabinet has amended rules related to recruitment in Higher Judicial Services Rulebook 1975.