The state cabinet on Wednesday sanctioned Rs 89.26 crore for upgrading Jamshedpur Women’s College into a university under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (Rusa).
It also transferred 7.01 acres for free to the Union HRD ministry at Paralposi in Seraikela block of Seraikela-Kharsawan district for construction of a central varsity.
The meeting chaired by chief minister Raghubar Das took 23 key decisions, including the above, home secretary S.K.G. Rahate told reporters.
A sum of Rs 48.72 crore has been approved for construction of multipurpose examination buildings in colleges of five districts — Khunti, Lohardaga, Sahebganj, Pakur and Jamtara. Each building will be designed to accommodate 1500 students.
In another important decision, the government allowed open bidding by private players in manufacturing, bottling and storage of country liquor. Secretary of excise Rahul Sharma said earlier licences to manufacture country liquor were issued on privilege basis.
“Now, any number of companies can get licences. The government will set standards for manufacturing and quality. In Bengal, as many as 33 companies are involved in manufacturing and bottling country liquor. The permit will effectively check manufacture of spurious liquor. Country liquor will no longer be sold in plastic pouch,” Sharma said.
The cabinet had in its December 6 meeting decided to withdraw from the direct sale of liquor. “Retail shops will now be run by private players. These will be allotted through an e-lottery for a period of three years. We hope to complete the process of allotment two months,” Sharma added.
The cabinet on Wednesday also terminated from service suspended registrar (vigilance) of Jharkhand High Court Mushtaq Ahmed who was booked and arrested by the CBI in connection with the Tara Shahdeo case.
The national-level shooting champ from Jharkhand was allegedly raped by her husband Rakibul Hassan, alias Ranjit Singh Kohli, and molested by his acquaintances including Ahmed. The judicial official was also accused of abetting attempts of forceful religious conversion.
Among other decisions, the cabinet cleared construction of a regional office of the Narcotics Control Bureau in Ranchi. A plot of 0.14 acre in Hehal has been transferred to the Union home ministry on payment of Rs 1.06 crore.
