HP: 3 ministers could not attend Council of Ministers meeting due to COVID-19

Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj informed while briefing media here at State Secretariat that Power and Multiple Purpose Project Minister Sukh Ram Chaudhary could not attend the meeting as he was admitted to IGMC Shimla after contracting novel coronavirus.

He said that two other Cabinet members, Education Minister Govind Singh Thakur and Forest Minister Rakesh Pathania who were under home quarantine, also did not attend the meeting.

He informed that the Government would review the decision of opening religious shrines for the public after Aug 15.

He said that the government decided to provide the relief to affected flowers growers who suffer a major loss during the lockdown as their products could not transport to market due to pandemic.

"Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown have resulted in cumulative losses of about Rs 15.77 crore to floriculturists of the State during the month of March to May, 2020, due to non-transportation of flowers," Bhardwaj said.

"Now, in order to provide succour to the floriculturists, the Cabinet approved the guidelines for providing financial assistance/relief amount worth Rs four crore to the affected floriculturists," he added.

Minister said that Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was authorised by the Council of Ministers to take the decision of holding delimitation of some Gram Panchayat, Rural and Urban local bodies in the state.

He said that no decision was taken to hold elections in the meeting but discussion and presentation were made by the department about the progress of delimitation of the rural and urban local bodies.