The Jharkhand government has implemented the policy that
was announced in the budget session of the Assembly to
make essential commodities like paddy, rice, wheat and
flour free from value added tax ( VAT).
The cabinet presided by chief minister Arjun Munda gave
the seal on the policy recently.
Cabinet secretary Aditya Swaroop said that there would
not be any VAT on unbranded food items like rice, wheat, potatoes, onions and
other essential items such as bed-sheets, towels and blankets.
However, the cabinet secretary said that the state government would continue in
imposing VAT on branded items from outside the state, including branded food
items.
In order to meet the increasing food requirement and ensuring food security, the
cabinet approved Rs 7.11 crore to set up 1,000 metric ton go-downs at 29 places
in all the 24 districts in the state.
The cabinet has given its approval to the proposal of the Jharkhand State
Electricity Board (JSEB) for outsourcing the job of recruitment of engineers and
other officials from National Power Training Institute, a unit under Central
government in Faridabad.
In view of the unprecedented failure rate in the final intermediate examinations
this year, the cabinet doubled the grace marks to benefit the failed
intermediate students.
However, former chief minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajantrik) supremo
Babulal Marandi in a statement criticised the state government’s decision and
said that increasing grace marks would not be a solution and its cause should be
identified in the root.
He said 28 per cent results in science exposed the government’s working towards
education.
