Shimla, Feb 23 (IANS): The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday decided to carry out amendments for conducting elections to the municipal corporations on party symbols, to provide reservation and making provision for disqualification on grounds of defection.

For this, it decided to amend the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act of 1994 and the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Elections Rules of 2012.

It also gave approval to provide government land on lease in Paonta Sahib tehsil in Sirmaur district to the Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry for establishing a regional horticulture research and training station.

The Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, gave nod to extend the engagement of 2,555 school management committee (SMC) teachers in the elementary and higher education departments for 2021-22.

As a mark of respect to Galwan Valley martyr Ankush Thakur from Hamirpur, the Cabinet allowed to rename the Government Senior Secondary School at Manoh in Hamirpur district after him.

The Cabinet also gave its consent to provide reservation of one seat in auxiliary nurse midwife, commonly known as ANM, or B.Sc. nursing courses for eligible widows below 45 years in each institute in the state.

It also gave its approval for amending the Mukhya Mantri Swavlamban Yojna of 2019 to reduce the burden of loan on the entrepreneurs and the subsidy would be deposited in the term loan account of the borrower and would be adjusted only after three years.

After the disbursement of the first instalment of loan by the bank, the general manager with the General Insurance Corporation of India would approve the subsidy amount in two instalments of 60 per cent initially and 40 per cent after the unit commences commercial production or operation and physical verification of the unit have been done.

The remaining 40 per cent subsidy amount would be released within 15 days of the verification, an official statement said.