Shimla, Jul 25 (IANS): The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, on Thursday recommended to the Governor to convene the Assembly's Monsoon session in Shimla from August 27 to September 9.

It will have 10 sittings.

The Cabinet decided to create the Dehra police district with its headquarters in Dehra along with the creation and filling of 39 posts of different categories.

It gave its approval for the procurement of apples, kinnows, maltas, oranges, and mangos under the Market Intervention Scheme at Rs 12 per kg, while the procurement rate for galgal would be Rs 10 per kg. The apple procurement time will be from July 20 to October 31 and mango from July 1 to August 31, while kinnow, malta, orange, and galgal will be procured from November 21 to February 15, 2025.

The Cabinet also approved the merger of government primary schools within a two-km radius and government middle schools within a three-km radius, if they have five or fewer students. Additionally, 89 government primary schools and 10 middle schools with zero enrollment will be closed, an official statement said.

Teaching staff in the Education Department will be transferred annually at the end of the academic session. All teachers including head teachers, centre head teachers, headmasters, and principals will also teach the students. Moreover, the Cabinet mandated that all schools hold a morning assembly with the national anthem and that high and senior secondary schools unfurl the national flag daily. Physical education will be a compulsory daily period in all schools and training in first aid will also be provided in collaboration with the Health and Ayush Departments.

It was also decided to fill 116 posts of work Inspectors in the Jal Shakti Department through direct recruitment.