Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approves waiving of Rs103 cr tax on passenger buses

Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): State cabinet on Tuesday approved to waive off Rs 103.50 crore the monthly vehicle tax payable on passenger buses for the period April 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021.

During the said period, the passenger bus services in the state were disrupted due to Covid-19, said government officials. The bus operators had been demanding the government to waive off the taxes as the bus services remained suspended due to lockdown.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan presided over the meeting of the Cabinet at Mantralaya on Tuesday.

The Cabinet also decided to reschedule the installments given under the Mukhyamantri Shramik Seva (Maternity Assistance) to ensure maximum benefits.

Under the scheme, the first installment which is currently available after conducting 4 prenatal check-ups, it now be made available only at the time of registration of the woman in the first trimester of pregnancy (in the first 3 months of pregnancy) or for 4 months of pregnancy due to unavoidable reasons.

Also the second installment- which is currently paid after the delivery being done in the government health institution-  the registered beneficiaries of labor category will get the amount even if the delivery is facilitated at any non-government hospital empanelled under Ayushman Bharat program.

 The cabinet also approved the order issued by the department on May 26 regarding increasing the honorarium of the priests/servants of the government-maintained temples. The honorarium of those priests whose temples do not have any agricultural land, their honorarium has been increased from Rs 3,000 per month to Rs 5,000 per month and those having agricultural land up to five acres will get Rs 2500 per month, earlier it was Rs 2100. The honorarium of priests of temples having agricultural land from five acres to ten acres has been increased from Rs .1560 per month to Rs 2,000 per month. The priests of those temples which have more than ten acres of agricultural land will not be given any honorarium separately from the government. The increase in the honorarium of the priest will be effective from May 01, 2022.