Shimla, Jun 11 (IANS): The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Friday decided to increase timings of opening of shops from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from June 14, except on weekends when the shops would remain closed.

The state will do away with the requirement of a mandatory RT-PCR report for entering the state. However, the curfew in the state will continue daily from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.

It was decided that offices with over 75 people could function at 50 per cent strength from June 14. All medical colleges, ayurvedic colleges and dental colleges would open from June 23 and the pharmacy and nursing schools from June 28.

Intrastate public transport would be allowed with 50 per cent occupancy.

The Cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, also decided to provide a relief of about Rs 40 crore to the transport sector, one of the worst-hit amidst the pandemic.

The relief included an Interest Subvention Scheme on working capital for stage carriage operators under which a loan amount of Rs 2 lakh per bus and maximum amount up to Rs 20 lakh would be provided to the bus operators as working capital.

It also provided relief to stage carriage, taxis, maxi cabs, auto-rickshaws and institution buses by giving the relief of 50 per cent on payment of Special Road Tax and Token from August 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

The Cabinet directed the Jal Shakti Department to go ahead for filling of 2,322 posts of different categories under the Departmental Para Workers Policy to effectively manage 486 drinking water and 31 irrigation schemes in the state.