U’khand cabinet hikes employee contribution for cashless treatment, clears multiple welfare & industry reforms

Dehradun: The Uttarakhand cabinet on Wednesday approved a series of key policy decisions, including an increase in employee contribution for cashless medical treatment, changes in the implementation of Ayushman Bharat schemes, tax relief for clean fuels, higher allowances for doctors in difficult areas, and pension enhancement for elderly artists and writers.Under the revised healthcare framework, the cabinet allowed Ayushman and Atal Ayushman schemes to operate entirely in insurance mode, while the Golden Card scheme will function in a hybrid format. Claims up to Rs 5 lakh will be settled through insurance, whereas claims exceeding Rs 5 lakh will be processed under the trust mode. As part of the overhaul, the employee contribution for cashless treatment will be increased from around Rs 250 to Rs 450, adjusted for inflation.To address the shortage of specialists in remote regions, the cabinet approved a 50% additional allowance for specialist doctors under the Provincial Medical and Health Services (PMHS) cadre serving in hilly, difficult and very difficult areas. The allowance, calculated as 50% of the minimum pay scale at the applicable pay matrix level, will not be counted towards pensionary benefits.In a move aimed at promoting clean energy and reducing pollution, the cabinet decided to slash the value-added tax on PNG and CNG from 20% to 5% to encourage the establishment of pollution-free industrial units across the state.The cabinet also approved the chief minister's announcement on the procurement of apples from disaster-affected Dharali and nearby areas in Uttarkashi district. Royal Delicious apples will be procured at Rs 51 per kg, while Red Delicious and other varieties (excluding Grade C) will be purchased at Rs 45 per kg by the Horticulture and Food Processing Department, with funds to be released under the announcement head.In the cultural sector, the cabinet cleared the Uttarakhand Elderly and Destitute Artists and Writers Monthly Pension (Amendment) Rules, 2025, doubling the monthly pension from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000. The pension was last revised in 2010, and the increase takes into account the rise in inflation over the years.To ease compliance and promote the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), the cabinet approved self-certification by empanelled architects for low-risk buildings such as single residential houses and small commercial structures in the building plan approval process. Amendments were also cleared in the Uttarakhand General Industrial Development Control Regulations to simplify rules related to industrial plots.The cabinet approved a revised staffing structure for the Uttarakhand Bamboo and Fiber Development Council, allowing 13 professional and technical posts to be filled through open market recruitment or outsourcing to ensure timely implementation of projects.Further, amendments to the Uttarakhand Medical Education Service Rules, 2025, were approved, raising the appointment age for professors and associate professors from 50 to 62 years. Four additional posts were also sanctioned for the Swami Ram Cancer Institute in Haldwani.Meanwhile, the cabinet referred the long-pending issue of "equal pay for equal work" for UPNL employees to a cabinet sub-committee for further examination.