Cabinet approves 22 posts for Anti-Narcotics Task Force

Dehradun: The Uttarakhand state cabinet on Wednesday approved the formal creation of 22 posts for Anti-Narcotics Task Force, which was formed in 2022. Till now, police personnel were deployed on deputation duty in the force, secretary home Shailesh Bagauli said."The process of creating a separate structure for this force has begun. A total of 22 posts will be created, including one deputy superintendent of police, two drug inspectors, one inspector, two sub-inspectors, four head constables, eight constables, and two constable drivers," he said.The cabinet also decided to provide a minimum salary of Rs 18,000 to 589 daily wage employees of the forest department/ forest development corporation. Currently, 304 workers are already receiving minimum pay. The decision follows recommendations from a cabinet sub-committee on the matter. The total workforce of daily wage employees in these departments stands at 893.In a move affecting medical officers and higher posts under Employees' State Insurance (ESI) scheme, the cabinet promulgated "Uttarakhand Employees' State Insurance Scheme, Labour Medical Service Rules, 2026." The new structure will include 94 posts, comprising 76 medical officers, 11 assistant directors, six joint directors, and one additional director. Previously, the ESI cadre had one chief medical officer and 13 medical officers.The cabinet also approved the extension of the Chief Minister Micro Food Enterprise Upgradation Scheme until the financial year 2025-26.The cabinet further approved drafting Uttarakhand Prisons and Correctional Services (Amendment) Act, 2026. The move follows a Supreme Court directive to align the definition of "habitual offenders" in prison rules/ model prison manual with state legislation. The amendment bill will be reintroduced in the upcoming Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly session.Finally, the cabinet decided to withdraw Payment of Bonus (Uttarakhand Amendment) Bill, 2020. The original bill, introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, allowed minimum bonuses to employees only if the employer had allocable surplus. However, with pandemic-like circumstances no longer prevailing, the bill lacking the president's approval and objections raised by the union ministry of labour and employment, state govt chose to withdraw the bill from the Legislative Assembly.